Kindergarten Benchmarks/Goals
Pre-Enrollment
Academic and Developmental Skill Criterion
Prior to Quarter 1 Kindergarten
Indicates skills incoming Kindergarteners should have mastered before beginning school.
Academic Criterion:
- Recognizes 26 upper- and lower-case letters
- Articulation of 26 letter sounds (short vowels, highest frequency consonant sounds)
- Ability to count to 20 without reminders
- Ability to write first name with mixed case letters
- Recognizes circle, square, rectangle, diamond, oval, triangle
- Knows the days of the week in proper sequence
- Counts backwards from 10
Developmental Criterion:
- Sustainable and consistent pencil grasp
- Orients and adjusts scissors in correct hand for efficient cutting
- Sits attentively when stories are read aloud and connects that letter symbol and words are associated with specific and unique sounds
- Independent bathroom skills
- Independent dressing skills
- Ability to remain seated for 15 minutes without teacher redirection
- Student is currently functioning and focused without naps
Quarter 1 Grading Period
Academic and Developmental Skill Criterion
- Properly places upper- and lower-case letters on the baseline (and midline) including first name
- Writes first name with mixed case letters applying Spalding skills for letter formation
- Identifies the first 26 Spalding Phonograms and can write them when prompted orally with the phonogram sounds
- Articulates all the sounds the first 26 phonograms make when presented with the phonogram card
- Counts aloud by 1’s to 100 without support
- Writes numbers to 25 with minimal reversals
- Identifies onset sounds when prompted with a simple words
- Randomized identification of ordinals through 10th
- Randomized identification or application of positional and directional words
- DIBELS Next FSF score 10>*3
- Sustainable and consistent pencil grasp
- Cuts a straight and curved line with ease and efficiency
- Able to follow along in text with pointer finger
- Relates pictures to text and makes simple predictions related to events or predictable text
- Raises hand and participates in classroom discussions
- Establishing friendships and resolving peer conflicts and performance frustrations in a socially acceptable manner
- Independently transacts classroom procedures without reminders
- Follows two-step oral directions with minimal reminders
Quarter 2 Grading Period
Academic and Developmental Skill Criterion
Academic Criterion:
- Properly places upper- and lower-case letters on the line and adds ending punctuation when modeled or prompted, including first and last name
- Identifies 25 single and 19 multi-letter Spalding Phonograms and can write them when prompted orally with the phonogram sounds
- Articulates all the sounds the first 44 phonograms make when presented with the phonogram card
- Reading Primary Phonics Level 2
- Mastery of 36 high frequency Spalding Words
- Counts aloud to 100 by 1’s and 10’s with automaticity
- Identifies onset, rhyme and medial sounds when prompted with simple words2
- Writes numbers to 50 with no reversals
- DIBELS Next PSF4 Score 20>
- Beginning to blend simple words DIBELS Next NWF- CLS4 17>
Developmental
Criterion:
- Ability to follow classroom procedures with independence
- Sustainable and consistent pencil grasp and independent and efficient scissor use with detailed materials
- Management of scissors, glue, math manipulatives and multiple work tools and materials without teacher support
- Able to follow multi-step directions
- Independently recognizes rhyming words and can repeat the rhyme
- Able to retell and sequence events in simple narrative text
- Able to retell facts and convey definitions from expository text
- Completes work beyond the minimum assignment
Quarter 3
Spring Grading Periods
Academic and Developmental Skill Criterion
Academic Criterion:
- Writes first and last name with mixed case letters
- Writes with ease, able to formulate and copy 1–2 simple sentences and apply basic punctuation and spacing
- Accurately spells and applies mnemonic markings to first 30 Spalding spelling words
- Identifies (and writes) 55 Spalding phonograms when presented orally or with the phonogram card
- Reading Primary Phonics Level 4
- Mastery of 75 high frequency Spalding words
- Writes numbers to 75 with no reversals
- Counts aloud to 100 by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s with automaticity
- Counts backwards from 25
- Models simple problems using cubes or manipulatives
- Identifies onset, rhyme and medial sounds when prompted with simple words2 DIBELS Next PSF4 20>
- Beginning to blend simple words DIBELS Next NWF- CLS4 17>
Developmental Criterion:
- Completes classroom assignments independently and consistently on time
- Able to retell and sequence events in simple narrative text and in chapters or texts previously read-aloud
- Able to recognize literary patterns, themes and characters in narrative text
- Able to retell facts, explain drawings, describe photographs and convey definitions from expository text
Quarter 4
Spring Grading Periods
Academic and Developmental Skill Criterion
- Writes with ease, able to formulate and transcribe 2–3 simple sentences and apply basic punctuation and spacing
- Accurately spells and applies mnemonic markings to first 100 Spalding spelling words
- Identifies 70 Spalding phonograms when presented with the phonogram card
- Writes 55 Spalding phonograms when presented orally
- Reading Primary Phonics Level 6
- Identifies the first 100 high frequency Spalding words
- Counts with ease to 100 by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s, count by 2s to 20 and distinguishes greater, fewer, more and less
- Models simple problems using cubes or manipulatives
- Identifies onset, rhyme and medial sounds when prompted with simple words2 DIBELS Next PSF4 40>
- Beginning to blend simple words DIBELS Next NWF- CLS4 28>
- Completes classroom assignments independently and consistently on time
- Able to retell and sequence events in simple narrative text and in chapters or texts previously read-aloud recognizing patterns, themes, setting and character
- Able to retell facts, explain drawings, describe photographs and convey definitions from expository text
- Completes work beyond the minimum assignment
