Spring, 2011
Dear Families,
Several families have asked about the academic expectations for students in
kindergarten. Many parents recall their own kindergarten experiences as a time to play
and learn the alphabet. Our kindergarten classrooms do include times for social play in
some of the following activities; living center, puppets, puzzles, toy cars, building blocks,
and listening stations. However, the academic expectations for kindergarten might
exceed your own kindergarten memories.
I have provided a sample of our kindergarten assessment. You will see the state
expectations for students still include learning the alphabet and counting. The
assessment expectations are the minimum expectations we have for kindergarteners. In
recent years, we have strengthened our understanding of how important our job is to
individualize our instruction. We must work harder at Horizon to challenge those
students who come to us in kindergarten who have met the minimum expectations and
help all children move up in the continuum of learning.
Additionally, full-day kindergarten requires some summer planning. Please begin
reducing afternoon sleep times. We do rest our bodies; however, we no longer take naps.
Students also need to practice following directions, appropriately holding a pencil and
using scissors, putting on and taking off coats, opening items they might have in a cold or
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hot lunch, raising their hand to ask for help, and toileting independently. Many families
begin “practicing” school behaviors during dinner time or as a fun family activity. Limiting
the amount of television in mid August will help students build stamina for staying
engaged throughout the full day of kindergarten.
Our amazing staff at Horizon is excited to get to know your child.
Fondly,
Melanie Strey
FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT
Name _____________________________
Concepts of Print: Pre-Test
Teacher_______________
Year______
/13 Fall Score ___/13 Winter Score ___/13 Spring Score ___/13
___Front cover ___Back cover ___Title ___Page Numbers ___Where to start ___Which way to
go (L-R) ___Return sweep to left ___Letters ___Spaces ___Words ___Word by word matching
___Recognize own name ___Recognize environmental print
The following assessments are located in the Start-Up Phonics Overview & Assessment Handbook:
Letter Recognition:
e


Lower Case: Pre-Test /26 Fall Score ___/26 Winter Score ___/26 Spring Score ___/26
Upper Case: Pre-Test /26 Fall Score ___/26 Winter Score ___/26 Spring Score ___/26
h
m c
O a
H L U N T
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y
b
x
i
d n
u
t
f
l
g
A D V Z R F O W S B K J
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z
j
p
k
q
r
v
s
w
X P M G C Y Q E I
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Letter Sounds:

Consonant Sounds: Pre-Test /21 Fall Score ___/21 Winter Score ___/21 Spring Score
___/21
Directions: Have students point to each letter and tell you the sound each consonant stands for. Some letters
stand for more than one sound. Note whether students say both sounds.
m s c v l g n d t j w p r

Vowel Sounds: Pre-Test
a
b q h z f k x y
/5 Fall Score ___/5 Winter Score ___/5 Spring Score ___/5
i o u e
Sight Words: Fall Score ___/42 Winter Score ___/42 Spring Score ___/42
Directions: Have the student put a finger on the first word on the student sheet and then read across the line,
saying the words as quickly as possible. Count as incorrect any word the student misses or hesitates on before
reading.
is
a
the
has
and
of
with
see
for
no
cannot
have
are
said
I
you
me
come
here
to
my
look
he
go
put
want
this
she
saw
now
like
do
home
they
went
good
was
be
we
there
then
out
________________________________________________________________________
Writing 1.0 (Distinguishes between upper and lower case letters) Winter/Spring
___Student identifies Upper Case
___Student identifies Lower Case
Writing 3.0 (Writes clearly and effectively)
Writes first and last name using correct capital and lowercase*
_____Writes first name
_____Writes last name
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Writing 3.0 (Matches letters to sounds)
Invented Spelling (How many sounds per word?)*
Dog 1 2 3
Pin 1 2 3
Cap/Hat 1 2 3
Sun 1 2 3
Jet 1 2 3
Math K.1 Core Content: Whole Numbers (Numbers and Operations)
K.1.A Rote count by ones forward from 1 to 100.
Counts orally by:
Pretest/Fall
Winter
1 to 30
1 to 60
Spring
1 to 100 or beyond
K.1.A Rote count backward from any number in the range of 10 to 1.
Counts backward:
Fall
Winter
Spring
5 to 1
7 to 1
10 to 1
K.1.B Read aloud numerals from 0 to 31. (Using numeral cards in random order. Or number sheet.)
Reads aloud:
Pretest/Fall
Winter
Spring
0 to 10
0 to 20
0 to 31
Math K.2 Core Content: Patterns and operations (Operations, Algebra)
K.2.A Copy, extend, describe, and create simple repetitive patterns. (Use a variety of tools)
Fall
Winter
Spring
Copy and Extend
Copy, Extend, Describe
Copy, Extend, Describe, Create
___AB pattern
___AB pattern
___AB pattern
___ AAB pattern
___AAB pattern
___AAB pattern
___ ABC pattern
___ ABC pattern
___ ABC pattern
Example: red, blue, red, blue (ABAB), red, red, blue (AAB)
K.3 Core Content: Objects and their locations (Geometry/Measurement)
K.3.A Identify, name, and describe circles, triangles, rectangles, squares (as special
rectangles), cubes, and spheres.
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K.3.B Sort shapes using a sorting rule and explain the sorting rule. (Use a selection of shapes.)
Fall
Winter
Spring
Sort with 2 attributes with
explanation
Sort with 2-3 attributes
with explanation
Sort with 3 or more attributes
with explanation
Attribute examples: (small, big, thick, thin, red)
K.3.C Describe the location of one object relative to another object using words such as
 in, out, over, under, above, below, between, next to, behind, and in front of.
(Teacher modeled and directed.)
K.4 Additional Content (Geometry/Measurement)
K.4.A Make direct comparisons using measurable attributes such as length, weight, and capacity.
(Teacher modeled and directed so students demonstrate vocabulary descriptions such as: longer
than, heavier than, holds less than, etc.)
K.5 Core Processes: Reasoning, problem solving, and communication
X=Trimester Performance Expectation
K.5.A
K.5.B
K.5.C
K.5.D
K.5.E
K.5.F
K.5.G
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Identify the question(s) asked in a problem.
Identify the given information that can be used to solve a
problem.
Recognize when additional information is required to solve a
problem.
Select from a variety of problem-solving strategies and use one
or more strategies to solve a problem.
Answer the question(s) asked in a problem.
Describe how a problem was solved.
Determine whether a solution to a problem is reasonable.
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Fall
Winter
Spring
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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