Getting Familiar with the Kindergarten Common Core Standards

The common core standards have been adopted in most of the states in the US. These standards tell us what students should be able to do by the end of the year. The standards are used from kindergarten through high school. Therefore, they build on each other year after year in hopes that once students graduate high school, they’re prepared for college, a career and life.

As kindergarten teachers, it’s our job to digest the standards and then teach students what they need to know. That way, students master each kindergarten common core standard by the end of the year.

Common Core in Kindergarten

Kindergarten is very different now from when I was in kindergarten. Students are asked to master many different skills that you may be surprised by when you first take a look at the standards. However, students can and do learn these year after year. The kindergarten common core standards set a strong foundation for all students will learn throughout their schooling.

Kindergarten Common Core Math Standards

There are 5 categories in kindergarten Common Core Math Standards:

1. Counting and Cardinality
2. Operations and Algebraic Thinking
3. Number and Operations in Base Ten
4. Measurement and Data
5. Geometry

Let’s take a deeper look

Counting and Cardinality: Students learn about numbers and how to count in order and they also compare numbers.

Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Students learn how to add and subtract.

Number and Operations in Base Ten: Students learn place value and how to compose and decompose teen numbers.

Measurement and Data: Students learn how to measure objects using standard and non-standard units. They put similar objects in categories.

Geometry: Students learn names of shapes, identify and compare shapes.

Kindergarten Common Core Language Arts Standards

There are 6 sections in the kindergarten Common Core language arts standards.

1. Reading: Literature
2. Reading: Informational Text
3. Foundational Skills
4. Writing
5. Speaking and Listening
6. Language

Let’s take a deeper look

Reading Literature: Students are introduced to a variety of different types of books and stories. They learn about different parts of a story and are able to explain them.

Reading Informational Text: Students are introduced to non-fiction books and stories. They learn to find the main idea and key details in the story.

Reading Foundational Skills: Students learn concept of print, phonics and phonemic awareness. Students learn sight words and practice reading with fluency.

Writing: Students use drawings, words and sentences to write different types of stories.

Speaking and Listening: Students participate in multiple conversations with different people. They ask questions when they don’t understand something and they present ideas and concepts they do understand.

Language: Students begin learning conventions of Standard English and are introduced to and begin to use a variety of new vocabulary.

Common Core Curriculum

Many curriculum companies updated their teacher guides and student materials to follow the Common Core Standards. You can also find a lot of curriculum that follows the standards on Teachers Pay Teachers and other similar websites.

Some of the resources I offer that coincide with the Common Core Standards:

Math:

Kindergarten Common Core Math Assessments for the YEAR BUNDLE

Math Games for Kids – Access to ALL Current and Future Math Games

Language Arts:

3 Star Coloring – A Beginning of the Year Writing Lesson

 

Do you use Common Core Standards at your school?