What will children learn about reading and writing in kindergarten? What are they expected to know by the end of the kindergarten year? While the goals may vary somewhat from state to state, there are some typical expectations. This list can give you a good idea of what your child will learn about language arts in the first year of school.
All About the Alphabet
The ABC’s are the first step to learning how to read and will likely be one of the first skills your child nails down. Help them along by singing the song as often as possible (even if you get sick of it).
Reading Readiness
Armed with the basics of the alphabet, your kindergartener is now ready to read books. It’s okay if there are very few words in them. Simply exposing your child to books will help foster a love of reading from an early age.
Kindergartners will learn how to:
Reading Skills
Once kindergarteners understand the bare-bones basics of books and initial sounds, they will work to string sounds together and read basic three- to five-letter words and, eventually, sentences.
Your kindergartener will learn how to:
Writing Skills
Once your child has the basics of the alphabet down, they’ll also be able to write. Spelling their name for the first time will be an exciting moment.
Along with analyzing illustrations, kindergartners should be able to:
A Word From Verywell
These are the skills that are generally taught in schools. It’s good to check with the school your child will attend to know exactly what they will be teaching.
Kindergartners will be able to:
If your child has already mastered most or even many of these skills, you might want to find out what kind of services, if any, the school provides for children who need advanced instruction. If your child has already reached these and many or most of the other kindergarten curriculum goals, you might even check to see if the school will allow your child to skip kindergarten and start school in first grade.
