Kindergarten

In 2011, Washington formally adopted the Learning Standards (Common Core State Standards) for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The Washington Learning Standards for English Language Arts provide a rich depth of knowledge and skills that young people will need to succeed in technical school, college, careers, and life. The standards are vital to ensuring our students can be successful in their communities and global society.

For more information from OSPI about ELA state standards, click here.

ELA - Reading Literature

• RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
• RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
• RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

ELA - Reading Informational Text

• RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
• RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

ELA -  Foundational Skills

• RF.K.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
• RF.K.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
• RF.K.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
• RF.K.4 Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding

ELA - Writing & Language

• W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is . . .).
• W.K.2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
• W.K.3. Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred and provide a reaction to what happened.
• L.K.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Adopted curricular materials meet the needs of all students through a variety of instructional strategies that provide multiple opportunities for mastery of skills.

Our adopted Kindergarten curricular materials for English Language Arts include:

• Benchmark Advance Core ELA Curriculum 
  • For Benchmark Advance's Recommended Reading List for Grades K-5, click here. Texts on BA's Recommended Reading List are optional. All texts are not used in all classrooms.
  • Benchmark Advance Unit Topic and Essential Question Alignment
• Heggerty Phonemic Awareness and Phonological Awareness 

 

Washington state formally adopted the Mathematics and English Language Arts K–12 Learning Standards. These standards describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. 

Assessments for these standards began in the 2014–15 school year.

• Mathematics Learning Standards

Coming soon! 

Our adopted curricular materials for Math include:

• Eureka Math - Core Math Curriculum
  • Eureka Math Curriculum Map

Washington has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for for science. Learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) here.

Fall

• K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans need to survive.

• K-PS3-1 Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface.

• K-PS3-2 Use tools and materials to design and build a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area.

• K-ESS3-1 Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

Winter

• K-ESS2-2 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

• K-ESS3-3 Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

• K-ESS2-2 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.

• K-ESS3-1 Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

Spring

• K-ESS2-1 Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
• K-ESS3-2 Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to, severe weather.
• K-PS3-1 Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface.
• K-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
• K-PS2-2 Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or pull.

Our adopted curricular materials for Science include:

• STEMScopes - Core Science Curriculum
  • K-5 STEMScopes Course Scope List

What Kids Learn in Personal Safety Unit
Kids start by learning rules about common safety hazards, then progress to learning about touching safety.

Lesson 1: Keeping Yourself Safe
In Kindergarten through Grade 3, your child learns how to stay safe by using the Ways to Stay Safe and following Never-Never Rules. In Grades 4 and 5, your child learns the Ways to Stay Safe and how to stay safe when alone, and what to do in case of emergency.

Lesson 2: The Always Ask First Rule
In Kindergarten through Grade 3, your child learns an important rule for staying safe, called the Always Ask First Rule: Always ask a parent or the person in charge first before doing something, going somewhere, or accepting something from someone. They also practice identifying adults they can ask and asking them assertively for permission. Grade 4 and 5 students also learn the Always Ask First Rule and also what to do if no one is nearby to ask first.

Lesson 3: Safe and Unsafe Touches
Your Kindergarten through Grade 3 student learns the difference between safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches, and how to use assertiveness skills to refuse unsafe and unwanted touch. Grade 4 and 5 students how to identify unsafe and unwanted touches and that it’s never okay for someone to touch him or her in a way that’s unsafe or unwanted. They also learn to pay attention to uncomfortable feelings in his or her body to help recognize unwanted touches and practices refusing and reporting unsafe and unwanted touches.

Lesson 4: The Private Body Parts Rule
Children in Kindergarten through Grade 3 learn an important rule to help protect them from child sexual abuse, called the Touching Rule: A bigger person should never touch your private body parts except to keep you healthy. Your child also learns how to refuse and report assertively when someone breaks this rule, and that it's never his or her fault that someone broke the rule. Your Grade 4 or Grade 5 child learns the Private Body Parts Rule and how to use the Ways to Stay Safe to respond if someone breaks it.

Lesson 5: Practicing Staying Safe
Kindergarten through Grade 3 children practice using the Ways to Stay Safe when someone has broken the Touching Rule. Your child also learns that it’s never okay to keep secrets about touching—the Never Keep Secrets Rule—and that he or she should keep reporting until someone helps. Grades 4 and 5 children learn that breaking the Private Body Parts Rule is wrong and it’s never their fault if someone else breaks it. Your child also learns that people who break the Private Body Parts Rule may do things to keep it a secret, but he or she should never keep it secret and should keep reporting until an adult helps.

Lesson 6: Reviewing Safety Skills
Children in Kindergarten through Grade 3 watch a video story about a boy or girl who uses the skills and concepts from the Child Protection Unit to stay safe. Grades 4 and 5 children review skills by participating in an interactive story online or watching a video story with the whole class. You can go through the Online Stories with your child at home.

The Washington Social Emotional Learning (SEL) standards and benchmarks were adopted in January 2020.

• SEL Standards and Benchmarks One-Pager
• SEL Standards, Benchmarks and Indicators 

Coming soon!