Pennsylvania Department of Education
Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening Standards
Kindergarten
1.1 Reading Independently
Big Idea: Emerging reading involves the use of pictures, symbols, and text to gain information and derive
meaning.
Essential Questions: How do I select text to learn about specific information? Do I read for a variety of
purposes? How do I recognize new words in print? How can I build vocabulary? How do I read to learn and
understand information?
A. Purposes for Reading: Identify the purpose and type (fiction and non-fiction) of text.
B. Word Recognition Skills: Employ word recognition techniques:
 Use association strategies to identify letters.
 Demonstrate phonological awareness through the segmenting and blending of phonemes.
 Use knowledge of letter sound correspondence (alphabetic principle) to decode words in
context.
C. Vocabulary Development: Expand oral language through the use of an increasingly robust
vocabulary.
D. Comprehension and Interpretation: Demonstrate listening comprehension / understanding before,
during, and after reading through strategies such as think aloud, retelling, summarizing, and
connecting to prior knowledge.
E. Fluency: Demonstrate accuracy and automaticity in phoneme segmentation, letter naming, lettersound correspondence, and blending (decoding) simple words.
1.2 Reading, Analyzing, and Interpreting Text
Big Idea: Children understand and respond to a wide variety of text.
Essential Questions: How do I identify the parts of books and stories? How do I use a variety of texts to learn
new information? How do I make predictions about a variety of texts?
A. Text Organization: Identify components of text organization
B. Fact from Opinion: Identify facts from informational text.
C. Essential and Non-Essential Text: Identify important information within an informational text, with
teacher guidance and support.
D. Inferences: Make predictions, draw conclusions and explain whether or not predictions are
confirmed, with adult assistance.
E. Text Analysis and Evaluation: Identify and respond to essential content of text.
1.3 Reading, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature - Fiction and Non-Fiction
Big Idea: Literature consists of a variety of elements to convey meaning
Essential Questions: How do I create different forms of text? How do I identify literary elements and devices?
A. Analysis and Evaluation: Respond to works of literature
B. Literary Genres: Recognize different types of genres such as poetry and fiction.
C. Literary Elements: Identify literary elements (characters, settings, and problems) in stories.
D. Literary Devices: Recognize literary devices (e.g., rhyming, alliteration).
1.4 Types of Writing
Big Idea: Children write for different purposes and audiences.
Essential Questions: How do I write for a variety of purposes and audiences?
A. Narrative: Write, dictate, or illustrate to convey ideas for a specific purpose.
B. Informational: Write, dictate, or illustrate to communicate information.
C. Persuasive: (Intentionally blank)
Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening - Kindergarten
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1.5 Quality of Writing
Big Idea: Writing conveys the author’s ideas about a topic.
Essential Questions: How do I use the conventions of writing to convey meaning? How do I review and edit
my work?
A. Focus: Write about one specific topic.
B. Content: Generate ideas and identify content appropriate for the topic.
C. Organization: Write words and simple sentences in a logical order.
D. Style: Write using illustrations and descriptive words.
E. Editing: Revise writing by adding details or missing information with adult assistance.
F. Conventions: Use grade appropriate conventions of language when writing and editing, with adult
assistance.
 Begin to form letters correctly
 Use correct spacing
 Spell words modeled in classroom correctly
 Begin to use capital letters correctly
 Begin to use end punctuation marks.
 Create simple sentences with adult assistance.
1.6 Speaking and Listening
Big Idea: Speaking and listening are connected skills that build the foundation for literacy and communication.
Essential Questions: How do I listen for meaning? How do I appropriately express my thoughts?
A. Listening Skills/Discussion: Listen and respond appropriately to others in small and large group
situations.
B. Speaking Skills/Presentation: Speak clearly enough to be understood by all audiences using
appropriate volume.
Share stories, familiar experiences, and interests employing gestures where appropriate.
1.7 Characteristics and Functions of the English Language
Big Idea: Information can be shared in many ways.
Essential Questions: How do I communicate in more than one way?
A. Formal and Informal Language: (Intentionally blank)
1.8 Research
Big Idea: Information to answer questions is available through a variety of resources.
Essential Questions: How do I find the answers to questions that interest me? How can I share learned
information with others?
A. Inquiry-Based Process: Ask appropriate questions on a variety of topics
B. Location of Information and Citing Sources: Locate information on identified topics with teacher
guidance
C. Organization and Production of Final Product: Create and explain a research-based project with
adult assistance.
1.9 Information, Communication and Technology Literacy
Big Idea: Technology provides access to new information.
Essential Questions: How do I use technology to gain new information?
A. Media and Technology Resources: Gain information using media and technology resources with
adult assistance.
B. Evaluating Media Sources: Identify different types of media.
Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening - Kindergarten
Revised August, 2010
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