Vermont State Standards for Language Arts: Kindergarten
VT.1.1. Reading: Reading Strategies: Students use a variety of strategies to help them read.
RK.1. Grade Level Expectation: Early Reading Skills and Strategies: Phonological Awareness: Applies phonological knowledge and skills by:
RK.1.1. Recognizing pairs of rhyming words and producing rhymes.
RK.1.2. Blending and segmenting syllables and onset-rimes (e.g., 'cup-cake,' 's-at').
RK.1.3. Isolating phonemes in single-syllable words (e.g., 'tell me the first sound in 'mop' '; 'tell me the last sound in 'mop,' 'tell me the middle sound in 'mop').
RK.2. Grade Level Expectation: Early Reading Skills and Strategies: Concepts of Print: Demonstrates understanding of concepts of print during shared or individual reading by:
RK.2.1. Distinguishing between printed letters and words.
RK.2.2. Following text with finger-pointing (e.g., charts, simple books), demonstrating left-to-right and top-to-bottom directionality.
RK.2.3. Identifying the first and last parts of a word (beginning/end of the word).
RK.2.4. Identifying key parts of a book: front and back, print, illustrations.
RK.3. Grade Level Expectation: Word Identification Skills and Strategies: Applies word identification and decoding skills and strategies (leading to automaticity) by:
RK.3.1. Reading approximately 20 high-frequency words, including names, environmental print, sight words (as appropriate to the child's personal and classroom experiences).
RK.3.2. Recognizing and naming all upper- and lowercase letters.
RK.3.3. Identifying the primary sounds represented by most letters (sound-symbol correspondence).
RK.3.4. Demonstrating a basic understanding of how the letters of phonetically regular words, going from left to right, represent their sounds.
RK.4. Grade Level Expectation: Context and Self-Correction Strategies: Applies context and self-correction strategies by:
RK.4.1. Noticing when simple sentences fail to make sense (while listening to a read-aloud or reading a simple text).
RK.4.2. Using pictures, syntax, or repetitive language patterns to help predict upcoming words.
RK.5. Grade Level Expectation: Vocabulary Strategies and Breadth of Vocabulary: Identifies the meaning of unfamiliar words by:
RK.5.1. Using strategies to unlock meaning (e.g., activating prior knowledge, using context clues, or asking questions during read-alouds).
RK.6. Grade Level Expectation: Vocabulary Strategies and Breadth of Vocabulary: Shows breadth of vocabulary knowledge, demonstrating understanding of word meanings or relationships by:
RK.6.1. Identifying synonyms and antonyms (e.g., 'big/large'; 'hot/ cold') to connect new words to known words.
RK.6.2. Organizing words by category (e.g., sorting pictures or objects into groups).
RK.6.3. Demonstrating knowledge of basic concepts (i.e., common words that describe position in space and time, such as 'over,' 'between,' 'after,' 'behind').
RK.7. Grade Level Expectation: Comprehension Strategies: Uses comprehension strategies (flexibly and as needed) while listening to literary and informational text.
RK.7.1. Examples of reading-comprehension strategies might include: using prior knowledge; predicting and making simple text-based inferences; generating clarifying questions; constructing sensory images (e.g., making pictures in one's mind); or making connections (text to self, text to text, and text to world).
RK.8. Grade Level Expectation: Monitoring and Adjusting Strategies: Demonstrates ability to monitor comprehension and adjust strategy use for different types of text and purposes during read-alouds by:
RK.8.1. Recognizing problems with understanding and asking questions as needed.
VT.1.3. Reading: Reading Comprehension: Students read for meaning, demonstrating both initial understanding and personal response to what is read.
RK.10. Grade Level Expectation: Initial Understanding of Literary Text: Demonstrate initial understanding of elements of literary texts read aloud by:
RK.10.1. Identifying characters in a story.
RK.10.2. Responding to simple questions about a book's content (e.g., 'What did that hungry caterpillar eat?').
RK.12. Grade Level Expectation: Initial Understanding of Informational Text: Demonstrate initial understanding of informational texts read-aloud (expository and practical texts) by:
RK.12.1. Obtaining information, using text features such as title and illustrations (e.g., 'From the picture on the cover, what do we think this book will tell us?').
RK.12.2. Using explicitly stated information to answer questions.
RK.13. Grade Level Expectation: Analysis and Interpretation of Literary Text/Citing Evidence: Analyze and interpret elements of literary texts READ ALOUD, citing evidence where appropriate by:
RK.13.1. Making predictions about what might happen next.
RK.13.2. Identifying physical characteristics or personality traits of main characters.
RK.15. Grade Level Expectation: Analysis and Interpretation of Literary Text/Citing Evidence: Generates a personal response to what is read aloud through a variety of means by:
RK.15.1. Comparing stories or other texts to personal experience, prior knowledge, or other books.
RK.16. Grade Level Expectation: Analysis and Interpretation of Informational Text/Citing Evidence: Analyze and interpret informational text read-aloud, citing evidence as appropriate by:
RK.16.1. Telling what was learned.
RK.16.2. Making basic inferences or drawing basic conclusions.
VT.1.4. Reading: Reading Range of Text: Students comprehend and respond to a range of media, images, and text (e.g., poetry, narrative, information, technical) for a variety of purposes (e.g., reading for pleasure as well as reading to develop understanding and expertise).
RK.17. Grade Level Expectation: Reading Extensively: Demonstrates the habit of reading extensively by:
RK.17.1. Listening to at least one or two books read aloud every day.
RK.17.2. Rereading' or 'reading-along' - alone, with a partner or an adult - two familiar books, charts, or poems every day.
RK.18. Grade Level Expectation: Reading Extensively: Demonstrates the habit of reading widely and in depth by:
RK.18.1. Reading from or listening to at least three different genres/ kinds of text and a variety of authors (e.g., literary texts: poetry/nursery rhymes, fairy tales, fantasy, realistic fiction; informational: content trade books, children's magazines; and practical/functional texts: lists, signs, labels).
RK.19. Grade Level Expectation: Literate Community: Demonstrates participation in a literate community by:
RK.19.1. Self-selecting reading materials in line with personal interests.
RK.19.2. Participating in appropriate discussions about text by offering comments related to the text or topic.
VT.1.5. Writing: Writing Dimensions: Students draft, revise, edit, and critique written products so that final drafts are appropriate in terms of the following dimensions:
WK.1. Grade Level Expectation: Writing Process: Students use prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and critiquing to produce final drafts of written products. Note: Students at this level will only be prewriting and drafting.
VT.1.6. Writing: Writing Conventions: Students' independent writing demonstrates command of appropriate English conventions, including grammar, usage, and mechanics.
WK.3. Grade Level Expectation: Writing Conventions: In independent writing, students demonstrate command of conventional English spelling by:
WK.3.1. Using phonemic awareness and letter knowledge to spell independently (phonetic or temporary spelling) and logically represent initial and final consonant sounds.
VT.1.7. Writing: Responses to Literature: In written responses to literature, students show understanding of reading; connect what has been read to the broader world of ideas, concepts, and issues; and make judgments about the text.
WK.6. Grade Level Expectation: Writing in Response to Literary or Informational Text: In response to literary or informational text, students make and support analytical judgments about text by:
WK.6.1. Using prior knowledge or reference to text to support a given focus, using pictures (pictures may include labels, which might only include beginning sounds and/or ending sounds).
VT.1.8. Writing: Reports: In written reports, students organize and convey information and ideas accurately and effectively.
WK.10. Grade Level Expectation: Informational Writing: Reports: In reports, students demonstrate use of a range of elaboration strategies by:
WK.10.1. Identifying details/information related to topic or to a given focus (pictures may include labels).
VT.1.9. Writing: Narratives: In written narratives, students organize and relate a series of events, fictional or actual, in a coherent whole.
WK.11. Grade Level Expectation: Expressive Writing: Narratives: In written narratives, students organize and relate a story line plot/series of events by:
WK.11.1. Using pictures to create an understandable story line, when given a structure (pictures may include labels).
WK.12. Grade Level Expectation: Expressive Writing: Narratives: Students demonstrate use of narrative strategies by:
WK.12.1. Identifying/naming character(s).
VT.1.19. Information Technology: Research: Students use organizational systems to obtain information from various sources (including libraries and the Internet).
VT.5.11. Literature and Media: Literary Elements and Devices: Students use literary elements and devices including theme, plot, style, imagery, and metaphor to analyze, compare, interpret, and create literature.
VT.5.12. Literature and Media: Literate Community: Students participate as members of a literate community, talking about books, ideas, and writing.
VT.5.13. Literature and Media: Responding to Text: Students respond to literary texts and public documents using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes.
WK.5. Grade Level Expectation: Writing in Response to Literary or Informational Text: In response to literary or informational text, students show understanding of plot/ideas/concepts by:
WK.5.1. No formal assessment at this grade; classroom assessment should be done in instructional, supported writing.