The Common Core Kindergarten Language Standards can be challenging to teach! Students enter kindergarten with such a wide range of skills and these standards really start the transition into first-grade learning. That’s why I created this kindergarten language and grammar interactive notebook to bridge the gap between kindergarten and first-grade skills!
Year-Long Planning
This project came to my mind when I was creating my yearly curriculum plan in August. I was looking at my year as a whole, and planning out when each standard would be covered.
I looked at all of the resources I already had, and what standards they covered. Next, I looked for any gaps, where I didn’t have resources to cover a particular standard. I found out that I had HUGE gaps in my language standards!
Whenever I see a gap, I go to TPT, Pinterest, and Google, and type in the standard that I am missing. Usually, from those three sources, I can find some supplemental material to help me cover any missing standards.
Unfortunately, when I did this for my language standards I found that the materials were limited, and a lot of them were not appropriate for kindergarten. After discovering this, a language resource for kindergarten was put on my to-do list!
This thing was a labor of love! I really wanted to make sure that I was covering the language standards, and that I was interpreting them correctly.
One of the things that I love about creating products for TPT is that through my research and development I get to dive deeper into the standards, and really get a better understanding of what mastery of a certain standard really looks like.
Making resources for kindergarten can be tricky, especially when looking at language standards that have a lot to do with grammar and word use.
Designed Specifically for Kindergarten
Kindergarten kids are just beginning to grasp the concepts of reading. Inside any classroom, you will find a wide array of reading abilities.
I have some kids that come in with a second or third-grade reading level, and some that don’t know any letters or sounds. Keeping that ability range in mind, I tried to create a product that would work for all levels.
I added posters and whole group sorting activities that can be completed together to introduce new concepts and review throughout the year. I also created worksheets that can be cut out and placed in journals to practice concepts and assess learning.
When creating this product, I went down the list of language standards and came up with resources for each one. While it has a linear standards format, you can move things around however you wish, depending on your class needs.
For example, in my class, I would use concept sorts at the beginning of the year and phonics activities in the middle The more challenging subjects such as affixes and adjectives would be taught toward the end of the year as skills have grown.
I hope that this is something that you find useful for your classroom! Something that helps you cover all of the standards in an easy and approachable manner!
