1. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
Unit 1: A Colorful Time with Rhythm and Rhyme - In this unit, students are introduced to colorful picture books, traditional poetry, and
nursery rhymes filled with rhythm and rhyme.
Overview: Focusing on phonological awareness, students are challenged to listen for rhythm and rhyming words within the literature.
Concepts of print are taught as students read poems on wall charts and in informational books. Descriptions of gathered objects and art
pieces highlight the secondary focus on color, encouraging rich description, discussion in spoken language, and vocabulary development.
In this early stage of writing, students use a combination of drawing, dictation, and writing to give opinions about favorite colors.
Big Ideas: Essential Questions: Vocabulary:
Print is everywhere and has meaning. Where is print found? artist poem
author poet
Rhythm and rhyme allow language to flow What does print represent? describe poetry
and support fluency. illustration rhyme
How does rhyme affect the way that we hear illustrator rhythm
language? informational book stanza
line story book
opinion opposites
ELA Standards/ELP Standards: Sample Activities/Assessments:
Reading Foundations (RF)
K.RF.1 Demonstrate understanding of the
organization and basic features of print.
I-R-1 The students will demonstrate
understanding of print concepts of the
English language.
K.RF.1a Follow words from left to right, top As you read a nursery rhyme (or poem) from a chart, choose someone to come up and
to bottom, and page by page. follow the words from left to right with the pointer. Instruct the students that if there is a
word they do not understand in this rhyme, they should raise a hand to ask about it.
I-R-1: HI-1: Demonstrating the command of (K.RF.1a,b,c, K.RL.4, K.RL.5)
left to right, top to bottom directionality, and
return sweep when “reading” books.
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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2. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.RF.1b Recognize that spoken words are With plastic magnetic letters and a white board, teach the meaning of “letter,” “word,” and
represented in written language by specific “sentence,” and then ask students to identify examples of each in a printed phrase from a
sequences of letters. familiar rhyme. (K.RF.1a,b,c)
I-R-1: HI-2: Demonstrating the one-to-one
correlation between a spoken word and a
printed word.
K.RF.1c Understand that words are
separated by spaces in print.
No Alignment
K.RF.1d Recognize and name all upper- Fold a paper in half and write “Letters in my name” on one half and “Letters not in my
and lower-case letters of the alphabet. name” on the other half. Students attach paper to clipboards and walk around the room
looking for letters in the classroom. When they find a letter, they determine which half of the
I-R-2(D): HI-1: Naming all upper and lower- paper to write it on. Students say the name of the letter as they write it. This works well as
case letters of the alphabet with different a whole group activity guided by the teacher. (K.RF.1d)
fonts out of sequence.
Teacher writes the color word “yellow” on chart paper. Teacher and students walk around
I-LS-2: HI-1: Naming upper and lower-case the room and look for the letters in “yellow”. This works well as a whole group activity
alphabet letters in random order with guided by the teacher. (K.RF.1d)
accurate pronunciation.
Students trace sandpaper letters while naming them; trace letter shapes written in large
font on a chalkboard; or match manipulative upper-and lower-case letters or letters written
on cards until they can point to any letter you name. (K.RF.1d)
Instructional Routine Template: Card 1 (K.RF.1d)
*Language Warm-Up (I-R-2(D): HI-1; I-LS-2: HI-1)
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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3. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.RF.2 Demonstrate understanding of
spoken words, syllables, and sounds
(phonemes).
I-R-2(PA) The students will identify and
manipulate the sounds of the English
language and decode words, using
knowledge of phonics, syllabication, and
word parts.
K.RF.2a Recognize and produce rhyming As teacher reads a rhyme, ask students to focus on listening for rhyming words and
words. hearing the rhythm of the lines. By teaching the children to follow along with you on wall
charts, they are able to enjoy rich vocabulary in context and become familiar with sight
I-R-2: LI-4: Producing rhyming words in words and word families. (K.RF.2a, K.RF.1a)
response to an oral prompt.
While reading (reciting) “Humpty Dumpty,” clap on the word at the end of a line (e.g.,
I-LS-2: HI-10: Producing rhyming words “wall”). The children will clap when they hear the word that rhymes with it (e.g., “fall”).
and short, simple, rhyming phrases and Continue with various rhymes and poems. (K.RF.2a)
songs using accurate pronunciation as well
as expressive phrasing and intonation. Read a literature book or poem with rhyming text to the class. Then, close the book and
repeat some of the lines, leaving off the final, rhyming word. For example, you might say
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great _____ (fall). Have children
provide the missing word. (K.RF.2a)
After recitation of a favorite rhyme or song, present a puppet that has trouble remembering
his words. Students hold up their thumbs if they hear the puppet make a mistake: “Jack
and Jill when up the pill.” Encourage students to say the correct word. (K.RF.2a)
Objects are illustrated on a page. As the teacher says a word (such as “fizzers”), the
students point to the corresponding rhyming picture. . , They pull out the object that rhymes
(“scissors”). You can use any objects, because it doesn’t matter if the rhyming words are
real words or nonsense words. (K.RF.2a)
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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4. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.RF.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics
and word analysis skills in decoding words.
I-R-2(D) The student will identify and
manipulate the sounds of the English
language and decode words, using
knowledge of phonics, syllabication, and
word parts.
K.RF.3a Demonstrate basic knowledge of As you recite the alphabet song, pointing to the cards, pause every few cards and ask
one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by students to fill in the letter name/keyword/sound (e.g., “r,” rabbit, /r/). (RF.K.3a,b)
producing the primary or many of the most
frequent sounds for each consonant. Instructional Routine Template: Card 2 (K.RF.3a)
I-R-2(D): HI-2: Producing letter sounds *Language Warm-Up (I-R-2(D): HI-2, HI-6; I-LS-2: HI-2, HI-5)
represented by the single lettered
consonants and vowels.
I-R-2(D): HI-6: Decoding common CVC
words.
I-LS-2: HI-2: Producing all individual
phonemes in words from print using
accurate articulation.
I-LS-2: HI-5: Producing and blending the
initial, medial and final sounds of grade-
appropriate words using accurate
articulation and pronunciation.
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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5. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.RF.3b Associate the long and short Instructional Routine Template: Card 2 (K.RF.3b)
sounds with common spellings (graphemes)
for the five major vowels.
I-R-2(D): HI-2: Producing letter sounds
represented by the single lettered
consonants and vowels.
K.RF.3c Read common high-frequency Teachers use predictable text and a repetitive format to help students learn high-frequency
words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, words. Students develop fluency as they participate in a choral reading of the predictable
my, is, are, do, does). text. Read “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” to the students. After reading the story to the
students a number of times, have students fill in the blanks in the following sentence:
I-R-2(D): HI –3: Reading high frequency “Brown bear brown bear what do you see?” “I see a (color word) (animal) looking at me.”
words with automaticity in context. Point out the high-frequency words. (K.RF.3c)
Instructional Routine Template: Card 3 (K.RF.3c)
ELA Standards/ELP Standards: Sample Activities/Assessments:
Reading Literature (RL)
K.RL.4 Ask and answer questions about Teachers pose questions throughout the reading that enhance meaning construction and
unknown words in a text. also show students how one makes sense of texts. (K.RL.4)
I-R-3: HI-3: Using key words, phrases, and Allow students to ask questions and discuss the text as it is being read to scaffold
complete sentences to answer open-ended their construction of meaning. (K.RL.4)
comprehension questions when responding
to text. Teachers teach students through demonstration and think-alouds, how to monitor their
understanding while they read and recognize difficult concepts or words. (K.RL.4)
I-L-2: HI-3: Identifying the meaning of and
Introduce and model the unknown word strategy to students, while reading to students.
using high frequency words.
(K.RL.4)
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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6. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
I-L-2: HI-5: Determining word meaning Instructional Routine Template: Card 15 (K.RL.4)
within context.
*The Big Cheese (I-R-3: HI-3)
K.RL.5 Recognize common types of texts
(e.g., storybooks, poems).
No Alignment
ELA Standards/ELP Standards: Sample Activities/Assessments:
Reading Informational Text (RI)
K.RI.4 With prompting and support, ask As the class reads an informational or literary book, introduce the idea of author and
and answer questions about unknown illustrator. Describe their roles in the creation of a text. Carefully show the front cover, back
words in a text. cover, and title page of the book. As you read an informational text such as “All the Colors
of the Rainbow”, pause to ask the children questions. Encourage them to ask questions
1-L-2: HI-3: Identifying the meaning of and about the text and especially about words they do not understand. (K.RI.4, K.RI.5, K.RI.6)
using high frequency words.
*Vocabulary Frames (I-L-2: HI-3, HI-5)
I-L-2: HI-5: Determining word meaning
within context.
K.RI.5 Identify the front cover, back cover,
and title page of a book.
I-R-3: HI-2: Making and confirming
predictions based on the title, cover,
illustrations, and text. (PE-2)
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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7. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.RI.6 Name the author and illustrator of a
text and define the role of each in presenting
the ideas or information in a text.
No Alignment
ELA Standards/ELP Standards: Sample Activities/Assessments:
Writing (W)
K.W.1 Use a combination of drawing, Hand out prepared papers with the following: My favorite color is _____________ because
dictating, and writing to compose _____________. Instruct students that when they have written (or dictated) their answer,
opinion pieces in which they tell a reader they should illustrate their thinking with a detailed drawing. (An art-related extension to this
the topic or the name of the book they activity would be to have students fill in and illustrate: My favorite painting is
are writing about and state an opinion or _____________ because _____________.) (K.W.1, K.L.1a)
preference about the topic or book (e.g.,
My favorite book is . . . ).
*This or That (I-W-1)
I-W-1 The student will express his or her
thinking and ideas in a variety of writing
genres.
I-W-1: HI-5: Responding to literary
selections by writing simple sentences.
I-LS-1: HI-6: Responding to comments and
questions in social conversations by asking
questions, sharing one’s experiences, and
expressing one’s thoughts.
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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8. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
ELA Standards/ELP Standards: Sample Activities/Assessments:
Language (L)
K.L.1 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
I-L-1 The student will identify and apply
conventions of English in his or her
communications.
I-W-2 The student will identify and apply
conventions of standard English in his or her
communications.
K.L.1a Print many upper- and lower-case Draw large shapes (circle, horizontal line, cross, etc.) on the chalkboard. Provide
letters. a rhythm as students trace the shape with the whole arm and pointer fingers on the board
or in the air. “Trace” with eyes open and closed. (K.L.1a)
I-W-2: HI-1: Writing legibly and with correct
formation all of the upper-case and lower-
case letters of the alphabet.
K.L.1b Use frequently occurring nouns and *Concept Charts (I-L-1(N): HI-2)
verbs.
*Concept Charts (I-L-1(V): HI-1)
I-L-1(N): HI-2: Explaining the difference
between common and proper nouns in *Verb Tense Study (I-L-1(N): HI-2; I-L-1(V): HI-1)
context (singular and plural).
I-L-1(V): HI-1: Using the simple present
tense verbs with subject-verb agreement.
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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9. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.L.1c Form regular plural nouns orally by *Concept Charts (I-L-1(N): HI: 2)
adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog, dogs, wish,
wishes).
1-L-1(N): HI-2: Explaining differences
between common and proper nouns in
context (singular and plural). (B-2)
K.L.1d Understand and use question *Function Junction (I-L-1(Q): HI-1)
words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what,
where, when, why, how). *Reverse Questioning (I-L-1(Q): HI-1)
I-L-1(Q): HI-1: Producing questions with *The Big Cheese (I-L-1(Q): HI-1)
inflections.
K.L.1f Produce and expand complete *Verb Tense Study (1-LS-1(SC): HI-1 thru HI-10)
sentences in shared language activities.
1-L-1(SC): HI-1 thru HI-10: Go to the
Sentence Construction (SC) section of the
Language Strand (pgs. 10-13)
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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10. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.L.2 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
I-L-1 The student will identify and apply
conventions of English in his or her
communications.
I-W-2 The student will identify and apply
conventions of standard English in his or her
communications.
K.L.2c Write a letter or letters for most
consonant and short-vowel sounds
(phonemes).
I-W-2: HI-1: Writing legibly and with correct
formation all of the upper and lower-case
letters of the alphabet.
K.L.2d Spell simple words phonetically,
drawing on knowledge of sound-letter
relationships.
1-W-2: HI-2: Applying letter-sound
relationships to write simple CVC words and
attempt more complex words.
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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11. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.L.5 With guidance and support from
adults, explore word relationships and
nuances in word meanings.
I-L-2 The students will acquire English
language vocabulary and use it in relevant
contexts.
K.L.5a Sort common objects into categories
(e.g. shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the
concepts the categories represent.
I-L-2: HI-1: Naming and sorting common
objects and pictures into self categories and
providing rationale.
I-LS-2: HI-9: Classifying objects, people,
and events, into self-generated categories.
K.L.5b Demonstrate understanding of Prepare a basket of colored objects. Invite students to come to the basket and choose
frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by something to tell the class about. This is the rule: Each student must describe the object
relating them to their opposites (antonyms). using at least two “describing words” (i.e., adjectives). Example: a bright red apple, a small
green block. Extend this activity by introducing opposites of one of the adjectives. “You
I-L-2: HI-5: Determining word meaning showed me a small block. Now find a large block.” (K.L.5b)
within context. (B-5)
Create an illustrated alphabet book of action words with your students. From attack to zap,
reinforce the definition of verbs as it stretches and expands students' vocabulary. (K.L.5b)
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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12. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.L.6 Use words and phrases acquired
through conversations, reading, and being
read to, and responding to texts.
I-L-2 The students will acquire English
language vocabulary and use it in relevant
contexts.
ELA Standards/ELP Standards: Sample Activities/Assessments:
Speaking and Listening (SL)
K.SL.1 Participate in collaborative Arrange small groups of students and place an object (e.g., a block) in the middle of each
conversations with diverse partners circle. Discuss which rhyme in this unit is their favorite. Students pick up the block when
about kindergarten topics and texts with ready to share and put the block back in the middle when finished. (K.SL.1, K.SL.1a)
peers and adults in small and larger
groups. *The Big Cheese (I-LS-1: HI-6)
I-LS-1 The student will listen actively to the
ideas of others in order to acquire new
knowledge.
1-LS-2 The student will express orally his or
her own thinking and ideas.
I-LS-1: HI-3: Responding to read-alouds by
identifying main ideas/concepts and details
using key words in complete sentences.
I-LS-1: HI-6: Responding to comments and
questions in social conversations by asking
questions, sharing one’s experiences, and
expressing one’s thoughts.
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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13. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
K.SL.1a Follow agreed-upon rules for
discussions (e.g., listening to others and
taking turns speaking about the topics
and texts under discussion).
I-LS-2 The student will express orally his or
her own thinking and ideas.
I-LS-2: HI-7: Initiating conversations and
responding to social interactions using
complete sentences.
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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14. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
Teacher’s Notes UNIT 1:
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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15. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
Suggested Works
(E) indicates a CCSS exemplar text; (EA) indicates a text from a writer with other works identified as exemplars.
Highlighted titles indicate texts referenced in Unit 1.
Literary Texts Literary Texts Informational Texts
Picture Books (Read Aloud) Poems (Read Aloud) Informational Text (Books)
“Red, Green, Blue: A First Book of “Halfway Down" (A.A. Milne) (E) “My Five Senses” (Aliki) (E)
Colors”(Alison Jay) “Singing Time” (Rose Fyleman) (E)
“Colors! Colores!” Jorge Lujan and Piet "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (Sarah Josepha Informational Text (Read Aloud)
Grobler) Hale)
“Brown Bear, Brown Bear” (Bill Martin, Jr. and "Time to Rise" (Robert Louis Stevenson) “All the Colors of the Rainbow” (Rookie Read-
Eric Carle) About Science Series) (Allan Fowler)
"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (Ann and Jane
“If Kisses Were Colors” (Janet Lawler, Alison Taylor “The Magic School Bus Makes a Rainbow: A
Jay) Book About Color” (Joanna Cole, Carolyn
“My Many Colored Days” (Dr. Seuss) (EA) Nursery Rhymes/Songs (Read Along) Braken, and Bruce Degan)
“Mary Wore Her Red Dress” (Merle Peek) “Colors and Shapes / Los colores y las
"Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling" figures” (Gladys Rosa-Mendoza, Carolina
“The Red Book” (Barbara Lehman)
"Early to Bed" Cifuentes, and Michele Noiset)
“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” (Bill Martin, Jr.,
"Georgie Porgie " “I Spy Colors in Art” (Lucy Micklethwait)
John Archambault, and Lois Ehlert)
"Hey Diddle Diddle" “Colors” (Learning with Animals) (Melanie
“Rap a Tap Tap, Here’s Bojangles –Think of
Watt)
That!” (Leo and Diane Dillon) "Humpty Dumpty"
“Matisse the King of Color” (Laurence Anholt)
“And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon” "Jack and Jill"
(Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel) “A World of Colors: Seeing Colors in a New
"Jack Be Nimble"
Way” (Marie Houblon)
“The Real Mother Goose” (Blanche Fisher "Little Bo Peep"
Wright) "Little Boy Blue"
“Red is for Dragon: A Book of Colors” "Little Jack Horner"
(Roseanne Thong and Grace Lin)
"Little Miss Muffet"
“Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep!: Listen to the City”
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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16. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
(Robert Burleigh and Beppe Giacobbe) "Old Mother Hubbard" Website References
Art, Music, and Media (Continued)
Nursery Rhymes/Songs (Read Along) Instructional Routines:
Henri Matisse, The Dessert: Harmony in Red http://csi.boisestate.edu/readingfirst/resources/coache
"Pat-a-Cake" s.shtml
(1908)
"Ring Around the Rosey"
James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Arrangement
“Rock-a-bye, Baby” Santa Maria –Bonita Strategy Posters:
in Black and Gray: The Artist’s Mother (1871)
"Roses Are Red" http://www.smbsd.org/page.cfm?p=2420
Diego Rivera, Flower Day (1925)
"Simple Simon"
Peter Brueghel, The Hunters in the Snow
(1565) "Star Light, Star Bright"
Helen Frankenthaler, Mountains and Sea
(1952)
Paul Gauguin, The Midday Nap (1894)
Pablo Picasso, Le Gourmet (1901)
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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17. Isaac School District No. 5
English Language Arts Curriculum Map: Kindergarten
*ELD Methodologies
The methodologies indicated below support the identified standards that are presented in Unit 1. Standards may lend themselves to additional methodologies.
*Language Warm-Up
*The Big Cheese
*Vocabulary Frames
*This or That
*Concept Charts
*Verb Tense Study
*Function Junction
*Reverse Questioning
BOLD: ELA Focus Standards Underlined Vocabulary = Tier 2 Words Adapted from Common Core Curriculum Maps, 2010.
Italics: ELP Standards *ELD Methodology 7-13-11
(ELP Direct Alignment)
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