The education system is designed to teach children about the world and prepare them for the workforce. However, before students tackle advanced subjects like calculus and physics, they first must tackle the basics. Kindergarten education lays the foundation for children as they progress through their academic career, and the skills they acquire in this year are crucial for their advancement in years to come.
The Common Core sets individual skill requirements for each level, ensuring that the necessary skills are taught before your child advances to the next grade.
Common Core Standards for Kindergarten
Common Core standards for kindergarten students involve laying the foundation for their progress through the educational system. Requirements vary between subjects, and children are expected to meet them in order to progress to the next grade. Below are the Common Core guidelines for what children should learn in kindergarten:
English & Language Arts
Common Core language expectations for kindergarten requires students be able to:
- Print many upper- and lowercase letters
- Properly use common nouns and verbs
- Form plural nouns by adding /s/ or /es/ to the ends of words
- Understand the use of question words (who, what, when, where, why, how)
- Use commonly occurring prepositions correctly
- Produce complete sentences in language activities
Mathematics
Common Core language expectations for mathematics requires students be able to:- Know the names of numbers and the order they go in
- Count objects to determine how many are present
- Compare numbers to one another
- Understand addition and subtraction as the putting together and taking apart of numbers
- Classify objects and learn to compare their measurable attributes
- Be able to identify shapes, as well as compare them and produce them independently
Children in kindergarten are also expected to develop basic problem-solving and reasoning skills, construct logically sound arguments, and make use of structure and systems in their work.
How Will Kindergarten Common Core Skills Be Built Upon in First Grade?
The Common Core is designed as a layered system where children are expected to build upon the skills of their previous grade level as they move forward in their education. Once children have displayed a mastery of the skills taught in kindergarten, they can begin studying first grade requirements, which include a deeper understanding of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation; learning the order of operations; and building upon the geometric and algebraic foundations laid in kindergarten.
What Happens If Your Child Fails to Meet Common Core Standards?
If your child is struggling to meet common core standards in their kindergarten class, it's possible they may have to repeat a grade or receive special tutoring in school. If you're worried that your child is falling behind in school, enrolling them in Genie Academy, an after-school education program, will help them better grasp their curriculum and get on top of their education.
