Grade K Language

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts include Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language.

A. Conventions of Standard English

- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
       - Print many upper- and lowercase letters.
       - Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.
       - Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog, dogs; wish, wishes).
       - Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).
       - Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
       - Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
       - Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun.
       - Recognize and name end punctuation.
       - Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes).
       - Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships.

B. Knowledge of Language

C. Vocabulary Inquisition and Use

- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content.
       - Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning the verb to duck).
       - Use the most frequently occurring inflections and affixes (e.g., -ed, -s, re-, un-, pre-, -ful, -less) as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word.
- With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
       - Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
       - Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites (antonyms).
       - Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at school that are colorful).
       - Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance) by acting out the meanings.
- Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.