English Language Arts (ELA) is more than just reading and writing. It includes skills like speaking, listening and viewing. ELA offers us a way to communicate. With ELA, your child can apply what s/he learns to solve real problems at home, at school and in the community.

By the end of kindergarten, your child should be able to: 

Word Recognition

  • Easily recognize about 18 familiar words they see in and around the home, such as their names, brand names, and logos.
  • Recognize easily a few basic sight vocabulary words, such as: "go," "the" and "is. (Get a list from your child’s teacher).
  • Follow the written text of familiar stories by pointing to known words.
  • Be able to predict unknown words. 

Vocabulary

  • Know the meaning of words they hear and see often. (Ask the teacher for a grade-level vocabulary list.)
  • Try to figure out the meaning of new words and phrases. 

Handwriting

  • Form upper and lower case letters.
  • Write from left to right and top to bottom leaving space between words.