Georgia Performance Standards for Kindergarten

Kindergarten Learning Expectations

Language Arts

Kindergarten students will receive instruction in reading, writing, and listening, speaking, and viewing. By the end of the Kindergarten , students will be able to:

Demonstrate developing understanding of concepts of print texts such as how to hold books, how to track print, and how to distinguish words from pictures and letters form words
Demonstrate basic understanding of the sound-print code: words contain sounds that are represented by letters, and letters combine to make words
Identify some basic sight words
Write letters of the alphabet and begin to represent words with letters
Recognize sentences and begin to understand that sentences begin with capital letters and end with some type of punctuation
Sustain their attention for an age-appropriate length of time while reading or listening to books
Retell or reenact stories using more complex vocabulary and longer sentences

Mathematics

All students will be actively engaged in developing mathematical understandings in real and relevant contexts. By the end of the Kindergarten , students will be able to:

Understand small numbers, quantities, and simple shapes experienced everyday
County, compare, describe, and sort objects
Develop a sense of properties and patterns
Connect numerals to the quantities they represent
Model (act out or use objects) problem solving involving simple addition and subtraction situations
recognize and name basic geometric shapes and spatial relationships
Compare objects in terms of their measurements
Identify coins by name and value, and make fair trades with pennies, nickels, and dimes
Follow a daily schedule to help develop the concept of time

Science

Kindergarten students will use inquiry to focus on questions about the world around them, including questions related to earth science, physical science, and life science. By the end of the Kindergarten , students will be able to:

Investigate different types of motion and the effects of gravity on objects
Identify parts of things such as tools or toys
Describe, compare, and sort items according to physical attributes such as number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and motion
Use their senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound to sort physical objects into groups
Use their senses to make observations about the physical world around them
demonstrate awareness of similarities and differences of physical attributes of the world around them, including awareness of similarities and differences between living and nonliving things, between animals and plants, and between parents and offspring

Social Studies

Kindergarten students will begin explore the foundations of history, geography, and government, and economics. By the end of the Kindergarten , students will be able to:

Identify, describe, and explain major national holidays
identify and explain the meaning of important national symbols
Use words and phrases related to chronology and time correctly to explain how things change
Describe diverse community and family celebrations and customs
identify and explain very basic characteristics of maps and globes, and state where they live by street, city, county, state, nation, and continent
Explain the creation and importance of rules, as well as the qualities of honesty, patriotism, loyalty, courtesy, respect, truth, pride, self-control, moderation, and accomplishment
Describe types of work that people do to earn income
Explain the concept of exchanging money for goods and services

Assessment

Throughout the year, classroom teachers will assess each student's growth and progress toward achievement of the learning goals specified in the state curriculum (GPS or QCC if GPS has not been implemented).
These classroom assessments will be used to guide instruction in order to provide every child with the opportunity to learn and to succeed.
Students will be made aware of the performance expectations for Kindergarten and will acquire self-monitoring and self-assessing skills to help them maximize their achievement.
All Georgia kindergarten students participate in GKAP-R in order to provide cumulative evidence of a student's readiness for first grade.
Students are assessed in the domains of literacy, mathematics, and social/emotional development in a variety of one-on-one, small group, and large group instructional settings throughout the kindergarten year.