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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year students learn that the classroom is a small community with rules, jobs, and a shared map. Students start asking questions about people and places, then look at pictures, simple maps, and short stories to find answers. They practice taking turns, listening to other points of view, and giving reasons for what they think. By spring, students can name a few class rules, point out home and school on a map, and explain why people make the choices they do.

  • Classroom community
  • Rules and fairness
  • Maps and places
  • Asking questions
  • Wants and needs
Source: Massachusetts Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
  1. 1

    Getting to know our classroom

    Students learn what it means to be part of a group. They practice taking turns, sharing, and following classroom rules so everyone feels safe and respected.

  2. 2

    My family and my school

    Students talk about who lives at home and who works at school. They notice that families and classrooms have jobs and routines that help the day run smoothly.

  3. 3

    Maps of places we know

    Students look at simple maps and pictures of their classroom, school, and neighborhood. They learn that a map is a drawing of a real place from above.

  4. 4

    Our country and its symbols

    Students meet the flag, the pledge, and a few well-known American symbols and holidays. They start to see that the United States is a country made up of many people.

  5. 5

    Needs, wants, and choices

    Students sort what people need from what people want. They practice making small choices, like picking one toy or one snack, and talk about what they give up when they choose.

  6. 6

    Being a good citizen

    Students pull the year together by practicing kindness, fairness, and helping out. They share ideas for making the classroom and neighborhood better places.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.
Standards for History and Social Science Practice

  • Civic Knowledge and Dispositions

    MA-SS.PRAC.K.1

    Students learn what it means to be a good community member: taking turns, following rules, and understanding why those rules exist. It's the foundation of how citizens participate in a democracy.

  • Develop Questions and Conduct Inquiries

    MA-SS.PRAC.K.2

    Students learn to ask a question about something they wonder about, then look at more than one book, photo, or person to find answers.

  • Organize Information from Multiple Sources

    MA-SS.PRAC.K.3

    Students sort pictures, objects, or simple texts to answer a question, using more than one source to back up what they think.

  • Analyze Purpose and Point of View

    MA-SS.PRAC.K.4

    Students look at a photo, story, or object and ask: who made this and why? They learn that some statements are facts and others are opinions, and that not everyone sees the same event the same way.

  • Evaluate Sources for Credibility

    MA-SS.PRAC.K.5

    Students look at where information comes from and decide if it can be trusted before using it to answer a question.

  • Argue or Explain Using Evidence

    MA-SS.PRAC.K.6

    Students back up what they say with real reasons. In kindergarten, that might mean pointing to a picture in a book or a photo from the past to show why they think something is true.

  • Take Informed Action

    MA-SS.PRAC.K.7

    Students look at what they learned and decide what to do about it. In kindergarten, that might mean helping a classmate, picking up litter, or speaking up about something that seems unfair.

History and Geography

  • Continuity and Change

    MA-SS.HG.K.1

    Students look at how everyday things like school, clothing, and homes have changed over time and how some things have stayed the same.

  • Geographic Reasoning

    MA-SS.HG.K.2

    Students look at maps, photos, and simple tools to learn about different places, including their own state. They notice how land, water, and people's choices shape where and how communities are built.

  • Perspectives and Sources

    MA-SS.HG.K.3

    Students look at the same event through different eyes, comparing what people said or drew at the time with what others wrote about it later.

  • Causation and Argumentation

    MA-SS.HG.K.4

    Students look at a simple past event, like a storm or a town fire, and practice explaining what caused it and what changed afterward. They back up their thinking with a picture, a story, or another clue.

Civics and Government

  • Foundational Principles

    MA-SS.CIV.K.1

    Students learn what rules and fairness mean in a classroom, a town, and a country. They begin to see why communities make rules together and who helps make sure those rules are followed.

  • Rights, Responsibilities, and Participation

    MA-SS.CIV.K.2

    Students learn what rules and responsibilities they share at school and in their community, and practice the habits of listening, taking turns, and speaking up that help groups work together.

  • Public Policy and Civic Engagement

    MA-SS.CIV.K.3

    Students learn that regular people and groups can change rules in their community, state, or country. They look at simple examples of how speaking up or voting leads to decisions that affect everyone.

Economics

  • Economic Decision Making

    MA-SS.ECON.K.1

    Students weigh simple choices, like whether to spend a coin or save it, and think about what they give up by choosing one thing over another.

  • Markets and Exchange

    MA-SS.ECON.K.2

    Students learn that stores set prices and compete with each other to sell things people want. When more people want something than there is available, the price often goes up.

  • Personal Finance

    MA-SS.ECON.K.3

    Students learn the basics of money: why we save some, spend some, and put some aside to grow over time. Simple choices now, like spending a dollar or keeping it, are where financial habits start.

No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 4.
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Common Questions
  • What does social studies look like in kindergarten?

    Students learn how to be part of a group at school and at home. They talk about rules, fairness, and taking turns. They also start noticing places on a map, jobs people do, and how families are the same and different.

  • How can I help with social studies at home?

    Talk about the day. Ask who students helped, who helped them, and what rules came up at school. Walk around the neighborhood and point out the post office, the library, and the grocery store, and talk about what happens in each place.

  • What should students know by the end of the year?

    Students should be able to name some classroom and family rules, point out a few places on a simple map, and explain why people use money to buy things. They should also be able to share an opinion and give one reason for it.

  • How do I sequence the year for five-year-olds?

    Start close in and move outward. The first months focus on self, family, and classroom rules. Mid-year shifts to the school and neighborhood, with simple maps. Spring brings in jobs, money, and stories about people from the past who helped others.

  • My child says they just play and talk at school. Is that social studies?

    Often, yes. Sharing toys, lining up, voting on a class book, and talking about feelings are how students practice being part of a community. Those small moments are the real work at this age.

  • Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

    Telling fact from opinion, and giving a reason for an answer. Most five-year-olds can state what they think, but the reason takes practice. Build in short routines where students finish the sentence, I think this because.

  • How do I teach maps to students who cannot read yet?

    Use pictures and real places. Draw a map of the classroom with the rug, the door, and the sink. Walk a route, then draw it together. Photos of the playground next to a simple bird's-eye sketch help students see what a map is for.

  • How do I help with money and saving at home?

    Use a clear jar for coins. Let students put a coin in when they earn or find one, and talk about saving for something small like a sticker. Short trips to the store are good moments to ask, do we need this or do we want this?

  • How will I know students are ready for first grade?

    They can follow shared rules, listen to a classmate's idea, and explain why a rule is fair. They can point to home, school, and a few places in the neighborhood on a simple map. They can also tell a short story about something that happened before they were born.

  • What stories or books support this at home?

    Pick picture books about families, neighborhoods, jobs, and holidays from different cultures. After reading, ask who the people in the story helped and what choice they made. That small conversation does most of the work.