What does a student learn in StateMassachusetts,GradeKindergarten,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students answer questions about a story using details straight from the book. They point to what the words actually say before drawing their own conclusions.

Students listen to a story and figure out what it is mostly about, then point to the moments that show that idea.

Students tell who is in a story and what happens to them. They notice how one event leads to the next.

Students learn what unfamiliar words mean by looking at the words and pictures around them in a story. They also notice how a writer's word choices change the feeling of a book.

Students learn that a story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and that each part connects to the others. They notice how one sentence or section leads into the next.

Students notice who is telling a story and how that choice changes what they hear. A narrator who loves the wolf tells a very different tale than one who fears him.

Students look at a picture in a book and talk about what the illustration shows that the words do not say on their own.

Kindergartners aren't expected to evaluate arguments yet. This standard is a placeholder in the Massachusetts framework and is not assessed at this grade. Students begin that work in later grades.

Two books can tell stories about the same idea in different ways. Students listen to both and talk about what is alike and what each author does differently.

Students sit with simple stories and books on their own, reading or following along well enough to understand what is happening.

Students answer questions about a book by pointing to or talking about the exact words or pictures that gave them the answer.

Students pick out what a book or article is mostly about and name two or three facts that back it up. At this age, that usually means looking at a simple nonfiction book and saying what it teaches and what details helped them figure that out.

Students listen to a nonfiction book and talk about why things happen: why a storm forms, how an animal finds food, or what causes one event to lead to the next.

Students learn what unfamiliar words mean by looking at the words and pictures around them in a book. They practice noticing how one word choice can change the whole feel of a sentence.

Students learn that books are built in parts. They practice noticing how one sentence leads to the next, and how a page connects to the rest of the book.

Students notice who is telling or writing something and why that might matter. A weather book and a weather story can cover the same topic but feel and sound very different.

Students look at a photo, chart, or drawing in a nonfiction book and explain what it adds to the words on the page.

Students listen to a nonfiction book and talk about what the author wants them to believe. They say whether the reasons given make sense.

Two books can cover the same topic but do it differently. Students listen to or look at two texts on the same subject and notice what each one says and how each one says it.

Reading full books and articles without help is the goal this standard works toward. In kindergarten, students listen to and discuss informational texts that grow more complex over the year.

Students learn that words on a page are read left to right, that spaces separate words, and that letters form words. It is the first step in learning how to read.

Students learn to hear and play with the sounds in spoken words. They clap syllables, blend sounds together, and break simple words apart by ear, before any reading or writing begins.

Students learn the letter-sound rules that let them sound out unfamiliar words. When they see a new word on the page, they use those patterns to read it.

Students read simple words and short sentences out loud smoothly enough to understand what they just read. The goal is not just saying the words correctly but following the meaning as they go.

Kindergartners state an opinion about a topic or book and give a reason why they think so. This is the start of learning to back up what they believe with words on the page.

Students pick a topic they know and write sentences that share real facts about it. The goal is to be clear enough that a reader learns something true.

Students write or dictate a short story about something real or made up. They include enough detail to show what happened and in what order.

Writing fits the job it's doing. A thank-you note sounds different from a story, and a story sounds different from a list of facts. Students learn to match what they write to why they're writing and who will read it.

Students learn that writing gets better when you work on it more than once. They practice going back to add words, fix mistakes, or try a different way of saying something.

Students use a computer or tablet to type words, share their writing, and work with classmates or a teacher on a piece of writing together.

Students pick a question they want answered, then find out what they can about it. They show what they learned by drawing, dictating, or writing about the topic.

Students find facts from books or websites, check that the source seems trustworthy, and put the information into their own words.

Students point to pictures or words in a book to back up what they say or draw about it. This habit of returning to the text starts in kindergarten with stories and informational books alike.

Students write often, for different reasons and in different amounts of time. Some pieces take a few minutes; others grow over several days.

Kindergartners take turns talking with classmates, listen to what others say, and add their own ideas to the conversation.

A teacher reads aloud or shows a picture, and students talk about what they learned from it. Listening to a story, watching a short video, or studying a photo all count as ways to take in information.

Students listen to someone talk and decide whether what that person says makes sense. Do they give good reasons? Do their examples back up what they're saying?

Students share a thought or finding out loud in a way that makes sense to a listener. They pick words and details that fit who they're talking to and why.

Students add pictures, drawings, or simple visuals to help explain an idea when they share something with the class.

Students practice speaking differently depending on the situation. Talking to a friend sounds different from answering a teacher or sharing with the class, and students learn when to use more formal, careful language.

Students learn the basic rules of how sentences work, like using the right word order and naming people or things correctly. These habits show up in both their writing and when they talk out loud.

Students learn when to use a capital letter, where to put a period, and how to spell simple words when they write sentences.

Students notice that words and sentences can sound different depending on where they appear. A story sounds different from a sign, and a question sounds different from a command.

When students come across a word they don't know, they look at the words around it or break the word apart to figure out what it means. They can also look it up in a dictionary or ask for help.

Students learn that words can mean more than one thing and that some phrases paint a picture instead of saying something literally. They practice sorting words that go together and noticing when language feels playful or surprising.

Students learn and use the kinds of words that show up across subjects, like words for describing, comparing, and explaining. Knowing these words helps students read and talk about new topics with confidence.