Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Subdomain: Learning to Communicate
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Language Standards (L)
Goal LDC-1: Children understand communications from others.
Comprehension and Collaboration
Indicators:
SL.K.2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media by asking and answering
 LDC-1n: Show understanding of increasingly complex sentences.
questions about key details and requesting clarification if something
 LDC-1o: Respond to requests for information or action.
is not understood.
 LDC-1p: Follow more detailed multi-step directions.
Goal LDC-2: Children participate in conversations with peers and
Comprehension and Collaboration
adults in one-on-one, small and larger group interactions.
SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners
Indicators:
about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and
larger groups.
 LDC-2l: Express an understanding that people communicate in
many ways (gestures, facial expressions, multiple spoken
 Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others
languages, sign language, and augmentative communication).
and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under
 LDC-2m: Initiate and carry on conversations that involve multiple
discussion).
back and forth communications or turns between the persons
 Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
involved in the conversation.
 LDC-2n: Initiate and participate in conversations related to
interests of their own or the persons they are communicating with.
 LDC-2o: Participate in a group discussion, making comments and
asking questions related to the topic.
 LDC-2p: Appreciate and use humor.
Goal LDC-3: Children ask and answer questions in order to seek help,
Comprehension and Collaboration
get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
SL.K.3: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get
Indicators:
information, or clarify something that is not understood.
 LDC-3f: Answer more complex questions with more explanation
(“I didn’t like camping out because it rained.” “Emily is my friend
because she’s nice to me.”).
 LDC-3g: Ask specific questions to learn more about their world,
understand tasks, and solve problems.
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EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Subdomain: Learning to Communicate
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Language Standards (L)
Goal LDC-4: Children speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings,
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
and ideas clearly.
SL.K.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired
Indicators:
to provide additional detail.
SL.K.6: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
 LDC-4j: Use language and non-verbal cues to communicate
thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and intentions.
 LDC-4k: Adapt their communication to meet social expectations
(speak quietly in library, speak politely to older relative).
 LDC-4l: Speak clearly enough to be understood by most people.
Goal LDC-5: Children describe familiar people, places, things, and
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
events.
SL.K.4: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with
Indicators:
prompting and support, provide additional detail.
 LDC-5f: Describe experiences and create and/or retell longer
narratives.
Goal LDC-6: Children use most grammatical constructions of their
Conventions of Standard English
home language well.
L.K.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
Indicators:
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
LDC-6i: Speak in full sentences that are grammatically correct most of  Print many upper- and lowercase letters.
the time
 Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.
 Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog,
dogs; wish, wishes).
 Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who,
what, where, when, why, how).
 Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in,
out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
 Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language
activities.
NC EARLY LEARNING NETWORK IS A JOINT PROJECT OF THE NC DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION, OFFICE OF
EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Subdomain: Learning to Communicate
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Language Standards (L)
Goal LDC-7: Children respond to and use a growing vocabulary.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Indicators:
L.K.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and
 LDC-7o: Repeat familiar songs, chants, or rhymes.
content.
 LDC-7p: Use a growing vocabulary that includes many different
kinds of words to express ideas clearly.
 Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them
accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning the verb to
 LDC-7q: Infer the meaning of different kinds of new words from
duck).
the context in which they are used (for example, hear “sandals”
and “boots” used to describe two pairs of shoes, and infer that the  Use the most frequently occurring inflections and affixes (e.g., -ed,
unfamiliar shoes must be sandals because they know that the
-s, re-, un-, pre-, -ful, -less) as a clue to the meaning of an unknown
other pair of shoes are boots)
word.
L.K.5: With guidance and support from adults, explore word
relationships and nuances in word meanings.
 Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a
sense of the concepts the categories represent.
 Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and
adjectives by relating them to their opposites (antonyms).
 Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g.,
note places at school that are colorful).
 Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same
general action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance) by acting out the
meanings.
L.K.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading
and being read to, and responding to texts
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EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Subdomain: Foundations for Reading
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Literature (RL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Informational Text (RI)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Foundational Reading (RF)
Goal LDC-8: Children develop interest in books and motivation to read. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Indicators:
RL.K.10: and RI.K.10: Actively engage in group reading activities with
purpose and understanding.
 LDC-8m: Engage in reading behaviors independently with
Comprehension and Collaboration
increased focus for longer periods of time.
SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners
 LDC-8n: Use and share books and print in their play.
about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small
 LDC-8o: Listen to and discuss increasingly complex storybooks,
and larger groups.
information books, and poetry.
 Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others
and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under
discussion).
 Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
SL.K.2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information
presented orally or through other media by asking and answering
questions about key details and requesting clarification if something
is not understood.
Goal LDC-9: Children comprehend and use information presented in
Key Ideas and Details
books and other print media.
RL.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
Indicators:
key details in a text.
RI.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
 LDC-9o: Imitate the special language in storybooks and story
key details in a text.
dialogue with accuracy and detail.
RL.K.2:
With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including
 LDC-9p: Use informational texts and other media to learn about
key details.
the world and infer from illustrations by, asking questions and
RI.K.2: With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell
talking about the information.
key details of a text.
 LDC-9q: Use knowledge of the world to make sense of more
RL.K.3: With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and
challenging texts.
major events in a story.
 LDC-9r: Relate personal experiences to an increasing variety of
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
NC EARLY LEARNING NETWORK IS A JOINT PROJECT OF THE NC DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION, OFFICE OF
EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Subdomain: Foundations for Reading
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Literature (RL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Informational Text (RI)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Foundational Reading (RF)
events described in familiar and new books.
RI.K.3: With prompting and support, describe the connection between
two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
 LDC-9s: Ask more focused and detailed questions about a story or Craft and Structure
RL.K.4: Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
the information in a book.
RI.K.4: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about
 LDC-9t: Discuss story books by responding to questions about
unknown words in a text.
what is happening and predicting what will happen next.
RL.K.5: Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).
RL.K.6: With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator
of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.
RI.K.6: Name the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of
each in presenting the ideas or information in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.K.7: With prompting and support, describe the relationship
between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what
moment in a story an illustration depicts).
RI.K.7: With prompting and support, describe the relationship
between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what
person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).
RI.K.8: With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author
gives to support points in a text.
RL.K.9: With prompting and support, compare and contrast the
adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
RI.K.9: With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and
differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in
illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.K.10: and RI.K.10: Actively engage in group reading activities with
purpose and understanding.
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EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Subdomain: Foundations for Reading
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Literature (RL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Informational Text (RI)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Foundational Reading (RF)
GOAL LDC-10: Children develop book knowledge and print awareness. Craft and Structure
Indicators:
RI.K. 5: Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.
Print Concepts
 LDC-10k: Hold a book upright while turning pages one by one
RF.K.1: Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic
from front to back.
features of print.
 LDC-10l: Recognize print in different forms for a variety of
functions (writing message to friend, pointing to print and saying,
 Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.
“Those words tell the story.”).
 Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language
 LDC-10m: Recognize print and symbols used to organize
by specific sequences of letters.
classroom activities and show understanding of their meaning (put  Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
toys in box with correct symbol and name; check sign-up sheet for  Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the
popular activity; check schedule to learn next activity).
alphabet.
 LDC-10n: With prompting and support, run their finger under or
over print as they pretend to read text.
 LDC-10o: Demonstrate understanding of some basic print
conventions (the concept of what a letter is, the concept of words,
directionality of print).
 LDC-10p: Identify their name and the names of some friends when
they see them in print.
Goal LDC-11: Children develop phonological awareness.
Phonological Awareness
Indicators:
RF.K.2: Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and
sounds (phonemes).
 LDC-11i: Enjoy rhymes and word play, and sometimes add their
own variations.
 Recognize and produce rhyming words.
 LDC-11j: Repeat a variety of rhythmic patterns in poems and songs  Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.
using words, clapping, marching, and/or using instruments to
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EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
repeat the rhythm or beat syllables.


Subdomain: Foundations for Reading
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Literature (RL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Informational Text (RI)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Foundational Reading (RF)
 Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken
words.
LDC-11k: Play with the sounds of language, identify a variety of
rhymes, create some rhymes, and recognize the first sounds in
some words.
LDC-11l: Associate sounds with specific words, such as awareness
that different words begin with the same sound.
Goal LDC-12: Children begin to develop knowledge of the alphabet
and the alphabetic principal.
Indicators:
 LDC-12e: Demonstrate an interest in learning the alphabet.
 LDC-12f: Show they know that letters function to represent
sounds in spoken words.
 LDC-12g: Recognize and name several letters of the alphabet,
especially those in their own name and in the names of others who
are important to them.
 LDC-12h: Make some sound-to-letter matches, using letter name
knowledge (notice the letter B with picture of ball and say “ball”;
say “a- a- apple.”).
 LDC-12i: Associate sounds with the letters at the beginning of
some words, such as awareness that two words begin with the
same letter and the same sound.

Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds
(phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or
CVC) words.1 (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or
/x/.)
 Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, onesyllable words to make new words
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.K.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in
decoding words.
 Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound
correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the
most frequent sounds for each consonant.
 Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings
(graphemes) for the five major vowels.
 Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you,
she, my, is, are, do, does).
 Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the
sounds of the letters that differ.
NC EARLY LEARNING NETWORK IS A JOINT PROJECT OF THE NC DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION, OFFICE OF
EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
Subdomain: Foundations for Reading
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Literature (RL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Reading Standards for Informational Text (RI)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Speaking & Listening Standards (SL)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Foundational Reading (RF)
Fluency
RF.K.4: Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.
Subdomain: Foundations for Writing
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Writing Standards (W)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Language Standards (L)
Goal LDC-13: Children use writing and other symbols to record
Text Types and Purposes
information and communicate for a variety of purposes.
W.K.1: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to
Indicators:
compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the
name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or
 LDC-13f: Represent thoughts and ideas in drawings and by writing
preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is . .).
letters or letter-like forms.
W.K.2: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to
 LDC-13g: Communicate their thoughts for an adult to write.
compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what
 LDC-13h: Independently engage in writing behaviors for various
they are writing about and supply some information about the
purposes (e.g., write symbols or letters for names, use materials at
topic.
writing center, write lists with symbols/letters in pretend play,
W.K.3: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate
write messages that include letters or symbols).
a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events
in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what
happened.
Goal LDC-14: Children use knowledge of letters in their attempts to
Conventions of Standard English
write.
L.K.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
Indicators:
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
 LDC-14c: Use known letters and approximations of letters to write  Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
their own name and some familiar words.
 Recognize and name end punctuation.
 LDC-14d: Try to connect the sounds in a spoken word with letters
NC EARLY LEARNING NETWORK IS A JOINT PROJECT OF THE NC DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION, OFFICE OF
EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Subdomain: Foundations for Writing
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Writing Standards (W)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Language Standards (L)
in the written word (write “M” and say “This is Mommy.”).
 Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel
sounds (phonemes).
 Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of soundletter relationships
Goal LDC-15: Children use writing skills and writing conventions.
Conventions of Standard English
Indicators:
L.K.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
 LDC-15i: Use a variety of writing tools and materials with increasing
precision.
 Print many upper- and lowercase letters.
 LDC-15j: Imitate adult writing conventions that they have observed  Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.
(write groups of letter-like forms separated by spaces, try to write
 Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/ (e.g., dog,
on a line, press Enter key on computer after typing a series of
dogs; wish, wishes).
“words”).
 Understand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who,
 LDC-15k: Use some conventional letters in their writing.
what, where, when, why, how).
 Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., to, from, in,
out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
 Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language
activities.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.K.6: With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of
digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in
collaboration with peers.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.K.5: With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions
and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as
needed.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.K.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g.,
explore a number of books by a favorite author and express
opinions about them).
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EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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Foundations Domain: Language Development and Communication (LDC) – DRAFT-March 2014
Foundations for Early Learning and Development
Subdomain: Foundations for Writing
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Writing Standards (W)
CCSS Kindergarten ELA Language Standards (L)
W.K.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information
from experiences or gather information from provided sources to
answer a question
NC EARLY LEARNING NETWORK IS A JOINT PROJECT OF THE NC DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION, OFFICE OF
EARLY LEARNING AND UNC FRANK PORTER GRAHAM CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
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