Subjects › Kindergarten English Language Arts
Kindergarten English Language Arts: learn to read and write by talking it through
This page covers kindergarten English Language Arts as laid out in the Common Core: book and print concepts, letter recognition, rhyming and syllables, blending and segmenting sounds, phonics (including digraphs like sh and ch, and blends like st and bl), high-frequency sight words, emergent reading of stories and informational texts, basic sentence and grammar skills, vocabulary, and writing by drawing, dictating, and writing. It starts from a child who can speak in sentences and listen to a short story, with no reading or writing instruction yet, and ends at simple decodable reading and short opinion, informative, or narrative pieces.
A lesson is a short back-and-forth. Instead of being told a rule, the child is asked to notice it: what sound does this word start with, what happens if we change that sound, what do you think will happen next in the story. The tutor listens to what the child actually says, responds to it directly, and asks one small next question, so the child is doing the reading, sounding out, or sentence-building, not just watching it happen.
Who it is for
- Kindergartners starting from no formal reading or writing instruction
- Parents who want to hear their child reason through sounds, letters, and stories out loud
- Teachers looking for extra one-on-one practice alongside classroom phonics and reading instruction
- Families homeschooling kindergarten ELA who want a full Common Core kindergarten scope
- Students who already know some letters or sounds and are ready to start blending and reading
What you will be able to do
- Name and recognize all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters and print most of them
- Blend and segment sounds in simple words, including digraphs like sh and ch and blends like st and bl
- Read short decodable sentences and simple emergent-reader books with sight words
- Spell simple one-syllable words by writing a letter for each sound heard
- Speak in complete, expanded sentences, ask and answer questions, and retell a story in order
- Compose a short opinion, informative, or narrative piece by drawing, dictating, or writing
A taste of a lesson on Consonant digraphs and initial/final blends
The tutor asks, you answer, and it works from what you actually said. No videos to sit through.
The 53 topics in Kindergarten English Language Arts
Each topic builds on the ones before it. The tutor checks what you already know and starts there.
Book and print concepts
Teach how books work: front cover, back cover, title page, and the author and illustrator roles (author writes the words, illustrator draws the pictures). Teach that print is read left to right, top to bottom, and page by page, that words are separated by spaces, and that spoken words are written as specific sequences of letters. Understanding means the student can point to these features and follow print correctly while a text is read.
Upper- and lowercase letter recognition and printing
Teach recognition and naming of all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters, matching each uppercase letter to its lowercase partner, and printing many upper- and lowercase letters with correct formation and orientation. Real understanding means the student names any letter shown and prints letters on request.
Builds on Book and print concepts
Rhyming words and syllables
Teach that rhyming words share the same ending sound (cat, hat, mat) and that students can both recognize and produce rhymes. Teach that syllables are the beats of a spoken word; students count, clap, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables (e.g., base-ball, pup-py-dog-house).
Onset and rime blending and segmenting
Teach that a single-syllable word can be split into an onset (initial consonant or cluster before the vowel) and a rime (vowel plus ending, e.g., /c/ + /at/). Students blend onsets and rimes spoken aloud into words and segment words into onset and rime.
Builds on Rhyming words and syllables
Isolating initial, medial vowel, and final phonemes
Teach that words are made of individual sounds (phonemes). Students isolate and pronounce the first, middle vowel, and last sounds of consonant-vowel-consonant words such as sit, map, and dog, excluding CVCs ending in /l/, /r/, or /x/. Understanding means the student can say each sound in order and name which sound is first, middle, or last.
Builds on Rhyming words and syllables, Onset and rime blending and segmenting
Adding and substituting phonemes
Teach that changing, adding, or removing one sound changes the word: /s/ + /at/ = sat; change /m/ in mat to /h/ to make hat; add /s/ to front of top to make stop. Students add or substitute individual phonemes in one-syllable words to form new words and explain what changed.
Builds on Isolating initial, medial vowel, and final phonemes
Consonant letter-sound correspondences
Teach the primary (or most frequent) sound for each consonant letter, and the ability to write a letter for most consonant sounds (phonemes) heard in words. Students produce the sound when they see the letter and write the letter when they hear the sound. Understanding means one-to-one correspondence in both directions.
Builds on Upper- and lowercase letter recognition and printing, Isolating initial, medial vowel, and final phonemes
Short and long vowel sounds and spellings
Teach the short and long sounds of the five major vowels a, e, i, o, u and their common spellings (graphemes), such as a in cat and a_e in cake. Students identify the vowel sound in CVC words and choose the short sound for regular CVC words.
Builds on Consonant letter-sound correspondences
Consonant digraphs and initial/final blends
Teach common consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck) as single sounds spelled with two letters, and simple initial and final consonant blends (e.g., st in stop, bl in black, nd in hand, mp in jump). Students read and spell one-syllable words containing these patterns, such as ship, chop, thin, stop, and hand, by blending their sounds.
Builds on Short and long vowel sounds and spellings
Phonetic spelling of simple words
Teach students to spell simple one-syllable words by segmenting sounds and writing a letter for each sound they hear (e.g., bus, fish, mop), drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships. Students should be able to write simple words and explain how they represented each sound.
Builds on Adding and substituting phonemes, Short and long vowel sounds and spellings
Distinguishing similarly spelled words
Teach that words that look alike may differ by one letter that makes a different sound (e.g., bat vs. bet, sit vs. sat). Students identify which letter sounds differ and use that to tell the words apart in reading and writing.
Builds on Short and long vowel sounds and spellings
High-frequency sight words
Teach common words that do not follow regular spelling and must be read by sight, such as the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does. Students read each word on sight in isolation and in sentences.
Builds on Short and long vowel sounds and spellings
Decoding and reading emergent-reader texts
Teach students to combine letter-sound knowledge, blending, digraphs and blends, and sight words to read simple decodable sentences and short emergent-reader books with purpose and understanding, pausing to check that the text makes sense.
Builds on Consonant digraphs and initial/final blends, Phonetic spelling of simple words, Distinguishing similarly spelled words, High-frequency sight words
Complete sentences, capitalization, and end punctuation
Teach that a complete sentence expresses a complete thought, that the first word of a sentence is capitalized, that the pronoun I is always capitalized, and that sentences end with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. Students recognize and name end punctuation and apply it in their own writing.
Builds on Upper- and lowercase letter recognition and printing, High-frequency sight words
Frequently occurring nouns and verbs
Teach that nouns name people, places, and things and verbs name actions (e.g., dog, run, sit, eat). Students identify and use frequently occurring nouns and verbs in their own sentences.
Builds on Complete sentences, capitalization, and end punctuation
Regular plural nouns
Teach that most nouns form plurals by adding /s/ (dog, dogs, cat, cats) and nouns ending in sounds like /s/, /sh/, /ch/, /x/, /z/ add /es/ (wish, wishes; box, boxes). Students form regular plurals orally and in writing.
Builds on Frequently occurring nouns and verbs
Question words (interrogatives)
Teach who, what, where, when, why, and how as words that ask for specific information. Students use each question word to ask about a story or picture and answer questions beginning with each word.
Builds on Complete sentences, capitalization, and end punctuation
Common prepositions
Teach frequently used prepositions such as to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, and with, showing position and direction. Students use them to describe where objects are, acting out or demonstrating each meaning with objects.
Builds on Frequently occurring nouns and verbs
Producing and expanding complete sentences
Teach that a basic sentence (subject and verb) can be expanded with who, what, where, when details and adjectives to say more. Students take a short sentence offered during shared language activities and expand it into a fuller complete sentence.
Builds on Question words (interrogatives), Common prepositions
Sorting objects into categories
Teach that objects can be grouped by shared attributes into categories (shapes, foods, animals, clothing) and that categories represent concepts. Students sort common objects and explain the sorting rule and category names.
Builds on Frequently occurring nouns and verbs
Opposites of verbs and adjectives
Teach that many common verbs and adjectives have opposites (hot/cold, up/down, open/close, big/small, fast/slow). Students name the opposite of frequently occurring words and explain how the pair differs in meaning.
Builds on Frequently occurring nouns and verbs
Real-life word connections and word nuances
Teach that words connect to real experiences and that places and things can be described with particular words (e.g., colorful places at school, things that are soft). With adult guidance, students explore word relationships and how word meanings vary in context.
Builds on Sorting objects into categories, Opposites of verbs and adjectives
Shades of meaning among action verbs
Teach that verbs describing the same general action differ in manner, such as walk, march, strut, prance, tiptoe. Students distinguish these shades of meaning by acting out each verb and explaining how they differ.
Builds on Opposites of verbs and adjectives
Multiple-meaning words and new meanings
Teach that familiar words can have additional meanings, such as duck as an animal and duck as a verb meaning to lower the head. Students identify the meaning of a multiple-meaning word from context and apply new meanings accurately in sentences.
Builds on Real-life word connections and word nuances, Shades of meaning among action verbs
Inflections and affixes as meaning clues
Teach the most common kindergarten inflections and affixes as meaning clues: the -s and -ed endings on simple words (e.g., jump, jumps, jumped) and the prefixes re- and un- and suffixes -ful and -less on simple base words (e.g., help, helpful, helpless; do, redo, undo). Students use these word parts to work out the meaning of an unknown simple word. Multisyllabic words are not taught here.
Builds on Regular plural nouns, Multiple-meaning words and new meanings
Acquiring words from conversation and texts
Teach that words are learned from conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. Students use new words they heard in read-alouds and discussions accurately in their own speech and writing.
Builds on Inflections and affixes as meaning clues
Collaborative discussion rules and turn-taking
Teach the agreed-upon rules for group discussions: listen to others, take turns, speak about the topic under discussion, and stay with the topic. Students follow these rules in small and large groups about kindergarten topics and texts.
Builds on Book and print concepts
Continuing a conversation through multiple exchanges
Teach that a conversation has several back-and-forth turns; each speaker responds to what the previous speaker said and adds related information. Students sustain a conversation across several exchanges with peers and adults.
Builds on Collaborative discussion rules and turn-taking
Speaking audibly and clearly
Teach that speakers must speak loudly enough to be heard and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly and in order. Students practice audible speech with a clear focus on their message when presenting to a group.
Builds on Continuing a conversation through multiple exchanges
Describing people, places, things, and events with detail
Teach that a description tells who, what, where and how something looks, sounds, or feels, and that details can be added with prompting. Students describe familiar people, places, things and events and add drawings to give extra detail.
Builds on Producing and expanding complete sentences, Speaking audibly and clearly
Asking and answering questions to clarify and seek help
Teach that listeners can confirm understanding of a read-aloud or oral information by asking and answering questions about key details, and by requesting clarification when something is unclear (e.g., Can you say that again?). Students use questions to seek help, get information, and clarify.
Builds on Question words (interrogatives), Continuing a conversation through multiple exchanges
Characters, settings, and major events in stories
Teach that a story has characters, a setting (where and when), and major events that happen in order. With prompting, students identify these elements in familiar stories and recall the key details.
Builds on Asking and answering questions to clarify and seek help
Retelling familiar stories with key details
Teach that a retelling tells the beginning, middle, and end of a story in order and includes key details. Students retell familiar stories with prompting and support.
Builds on Characters, settings, and major events in stories
Asking and answering questions about key details in texts
Teach that good readers ask questions about what they read and find answers in the text. Students ask and answer questions about key details in stories and informational texts read aloud, pointing to where the answer is found.
Builds on Retelling familiar stories with key details
Asking and answering questions about unknown words in texts
Teach that when a word in a text is unfamiliar, readers ask what it means and use the context or illustrations to find the answer. Students ask and answer questions about unknown words in stories and informational texts.
Builds on Acquiring words from conversation and texts, Asking and answering questions about key details in texts
Common text types: storybooks and poems
Teach the common kinds of texts a kindergartner meets: storybooks (fiction with characters and events), informational books (nonfiction about real things), and poems (rhythmic, often rhyming language). Students identify and name each type from examples.
Builds on Book and print concepts, Rhyming words and syllables
Author and illustrator roles
Teach that the author writes the words of a story or informational text and the illustrator creates the pictures, and that each contributes to telling the story or giving information. Students name the author and illustrator of a book and explain each role.
Builds on Book and print concepts, Common text types: storybooks and poems
Relating illustrations to text
Teach that illustrations show a person, place, thing, or idea from the text, or a particular moment in a story. Students describe what an illustration shows and how it connects to the words on the page.
Builds on Asking and answering questions about key details in texts, Author and illustrator roles
Main topic and key details in informational texts
Teach that an informational text has a main topic (what it is mostly about) supported by key details. With prompting, students identify the main topic of an informational book and retell the key details that support it.
Builds on Asking and answering questions about key details in texts, Common text types: storybooks and poems
Connections between ideas, events, and information
Teach that a text links individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information, often with words like because, and then, or so. With prompting, students describe how two items in a text are connected.
Builds on Characters, settings, and major events in stories, Main topic and key details in informational texts
Reasons an author gives to support points
Teach that authors of informational texts give reasons and examples to support their points. With prompting, students identify a point the author makes and the reasons given for it.
Builds on Main topic and key details in informational texts
Comparing two texts on the same topic
Teach that two texts on the same topic can be compared for similarities and differences in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures. With prompting, students identify basic similarities and differences between two texts.
Builds on Relating illustrations to text, Main topic and key details in informational texts
Comparing characters' adventures in familiar stories
Teach that characters in different familiar stories can have similar or different adventures and experiences. With prompting, students compare and contrast what happened to characters in two stories, such as two versions of a folktale.
Builds on Characters, settings, and major events in stories, Retelling familiar stories with key details
Engaging in group reading activities
Teach how to take part in shared and group reading: following along, chiming in on repeated lines, listening to peers, and staying on the text with purpose. Students participate actively in read-alouds and shared reading in groups.
Builds on Decoding and reading emergent-reader texts, Collaborative discussion rules and turn-taking
Reading emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding
Teach students to read a series of emergent-reader books independently, checking meaning as they go and answering questions about what they read. Understanding means the student reads the text and can say what it was about.
Builds on Decoding and reading emergent-reader texts, Asking and answering questions about key details in texts, Engaging in group reading activities
Writing with drawing, dictating, and writing
Teach that writing can combine drawing, dictating words to an adult, and writing letters or words. Students compose a short text by combining these methods, naming the topic and adding detail.
Builds on Phonetic spelling of simple words, Complete sentences, capitalization, and end punctuation
Opinion writing
Teach that an opinion piece states what the writer thinks or prefers about a topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is... because...). Students name the topic or book, state an opinion, and give a reason, using drawing, dictating, and writing.
Builds on Writing with drawing, dictating, and writing
Informative and explanatory writing
Teach that informative writing names what it is about and supplies some facts about the topic. Students write or dictate a short informative text on a familiar topic using drawing and words.
Builds on Main topic and key details in informational texts, Writing with drawing, dictating, and writing
Narrative writing of events in order
Teach that a narrative tells one event or several loosely linked events in the order they happened, and gives a reaction to what happened. Students retell events in order using drawings, dictation, and words, and add their feelings about the events.
Builds on Retelling familiar stories with key details, Writing with drawing, dictating, and writing
Responding to feedback and adding details
Teach that writers can take questions and suggestions from peers and adults and add details to strengthen their writing. Students respond to a peer or adult question about their writing and add a detail to a draft.
Builds on Opinion writing, Informative and explanatory writing, Narrative writing of events in order
Exploring digital tools for writing
Teach that digital tools (drawing apps, simple word processors, voice recording) can be used to produce and publish writing, with adult guidance and in collaboration with peers. Students explore a tool to type, draw, or record a short piece of writing.
Builds on Writing with drawing, dictating, and writing
Shared small-group reading project
Teach that writers and readers can explore several books by one author or on one topic and share opinions about them. Students take part in a small-group project in which they read or listen to a few related texts together and say what they learned and what they liked, with adult support.
Builds on Comparing two texts on the same topic
Recalling and gathering information to answer questions
Teach that information can come from memory of experiences or from provided sources such as books, pictures, or an adult. With guidance, students recall what they know or find facts in a provided source to answer a question.
Builds on Asking and answering questions to clarify and seek help, Main topic and key details in informational texts
Practice questions in Kindergarten English Language Arts
A few of the kinds of questions you will work through, with answers.
Do 'cat' and 'hat' rhyme? How do you know?
See the answer
Yes
They end with the same sound, 'at', even though they start with different sounds.
What is the middle sound in the word 'dog'?
See the answer
/o/
Dog has three sounds, d-o-g, and the vowel sound in the middle is /o/.
What two letters make the first sound in the word 'chip'?
See the answer
ch
C and h together spell one sound, as in chip, chin, and chop.
Read this sentence and point to the sight word: 'She is my friend.' Which word is a sight word you should know by sight, not sound out?
See the answer
She
She is a common high-frequency word that kindergartners learn to recognize instantly rather than sound out.
How do you make 'box' show more than one?
See the answer
Boxes
Words ending in sounds like x add -es instead of just -s, so box becomes boxes.
In a story about a girl who loses her dog in the park and finds it by the pond, what is the setting?
See the answer
The park
The setting is where and when a story happens; here that is the park, including the pond in it.
Questions about this subject
My child doesn't know any letters yet. Is this too advanced?
No. The sequence starts at book and print concepts and letter recognition before any sounding out or reading begins, so a child with no prior instruction starts at the very beginning.
Does this replace phonics instruction at school?
It follows the same Common Core kindergarten topics in the same order, so it can run alongside classroom instruction or stand on its own for extra practice.
How does a young child 'write' in these lessons?
Kindergarten writing includes drawing and dictating words to an adult as well as writing letters, so early writing tasks let a child compose an idea even before they can spell much on their own.
What comes after this?
This page stops before first-grade work: decoding longer multisyllabic words, first-grade grammar, and formal essay writing, which would be the next step.
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