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

Students answer questions about a story by pointing to words or pictures in the book that back up what they said.

Students retell what a story is mostly about and name the key details that show it. In kindergarten, this means saying who the story is about, what happens, and why it matters.

Students say who is in a story, what happens to them, and how one event leads to the next. This is the beginning of understanding how stories work.

Students listen to a story and talk about what key words mean in that moment. They notice how the author's word choices make the story feel happy, scary, or funny.

Students recognize that a story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. They talk about how each part connects to what comes before and after it.

Students notice who is telling a story and how that shapes what gets said. A story told by a scared child sounds different from one told by a brave adult.

Students look at pictures in a book and talk about what the illustrations show that the words do not say on their own.

This standard doesn't apply to Kindergarten reading. Most states mark it "not applicable" at this grade because evaluating arguments is introduced in later grades.

Two books can tell stories about the same idea in different ways. Students listen to or read two stories on the same topic and talk about what is the same and what is different between them.

Students listen to and discuss stories and books that stretch their thinking, building the habit of engaging with texts a little beyond what feels easy.

Students answer questions about a book by pointing to or repeating the exact words that gave them the answer. They stick to what the book actually says.

Students name what a short nonfiction book or passage is mostly about and share a detail or two that supports that idea.

Students listen to a nonfiction book and explain how one thing leads to another. Why did the rain come? What happened to the plants after?

Students notice how words work in a nonfiction passage and ask what a word means in that sentence. Learning to pay attention to word choice helps students understand what an author is really saying.

Students notice how a nonfiction book is put together. They see how one sentence leads to the next and how each part connects to what the whole book is about.

Students notice who is telling or explaining something, and think about why that person made the choices they did. Recognizing the teller's purpose helps readers understand why some details get included and others don't.

Students look at a photo, drawing, or chart in a nonfiction book and talk about what it shows. The picture and the words work together to tell the full story.

Students listen to a nonfiction book and decide if the author's reason for saying something makes sense. They ask: does the author give a good example to back that up?

Two books about the same topic can say different things. Students listen to both and talk about what each one teaches, noticing where the books agree or where one adds something new.

Reading short informational books and passages on their own, with support. Students practice making sense of simple nonfiction texts about the world around them.

Reading starts with knowing how a book works. Students learn that print goes left to right, that spaces separate words, and that letters form words on a page.

Students practice hearing how words are built from smaller pieces. They clap syllables, blend sounds together, and pull words apart into their individual sounds.

Students use letter-sound knowledge to sound out unfamiliar words. This is the core decoding work of learning to read.

Students read simple words and short sentences out loud clearly enough to understand what the text says. Sounding out words and keeping a steady pace both help meaning click into place.

Kindergartners share an opinion about a book or topic and give a reason why they think that. For example, a student might say a story is funny and point to a page that made them laugh.

Students pick a topic they know and write or draw to share what they know about it. The focus is on facts, not feelings or made-up stories.

Students write short stories about something that happened to them or something made up. They put the events in order and add details that help the story make sense.

Students write sentences that fit the job. A thank-you note sounds different from a story, and a label looks different from a list. Even in kindergarten, the words on the page match what the writing is trying to do.

Students learn that writing improves when you go back and change it. They practice rereading what they wrote, fixing words or pictures, and trying again if something isn't working.

Students type or record writing on a computer or tablet and share it with others. This standard covers the basics of using a device to create something written and get it in front of a reader.

Students pick a question they want to answer, then find out what they can about it. They show what they learned by drawing, writing, or talking 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 pick a detail from a book or story that backs up what they want to say. At this age, that usually means pointing to a picture or telling the teacher a line they remember.

Students write often, on short tasks and longer ones, for different reasons and different readers. Practice across many kinds of writing builds the habit of putting ideas on paper.

Kindergarteners take turns talking with classmates, listen to what others say, and add their own ideas to the conversation. The goal is speaking up clearly and building on what a friend just said.

Students listen to a read-aloud, watch a short video, or look at a picture and then talk about what they learned. They practice pulling information from different sources, not just printed words.

Students listen to someone talk and decide whether what the speaker says makes sense. They notice what the speaker thinks, why the speaker thinks it, and whether the reasons given hold up.

Students share ideas out loud in a way that makes sense to whoever is listening. They pick words and details that fit the moment, whether they're telling a story, explaining something, or answering a question.

Students add pictures, drawings, or simple visuals to a presentation to help listeners understand what they're saying. The image supports the words, not just decorates them.

Students practice switching between everyday talk and more formal speech, like using complete sentences when answering a teacher instead of just saying "yeah" or "nope."

Students learn the basic rules of English, like how to name things, ask questions, and put words in the right order. These habits show up in both what students write and what they say out loud.

Students learn when to use a capital letter, where to put a period, and how to spell simple words correctly in their writing.

Students learn that word choices change how something sounds or feels. A sentence can be kind, silly, serious, or clear depending on the words a writer picks.

When students hit a word they don't know, they look at the words around it for clues, break the word into parts, or check a dictionary or glossary. They learn to figure out what a word means without asking for help right away.

Words can mean more than what they literally say. Students learn to notice when language is playful or surprising, like calling the sun sleepy, and start building a sense of how words connect and color meaning.

Students learn and use everyday words and subject-specific words that help them read, write, and talk about what they know. The goal is building a working vocabulary they can use across school, not just on a worksheet.