Parent Resource
What should my child know in each grade?
A quick, parent-friendly guide to the reading, writing, math, and science milestones students are expected to reach from kindergarten through 12th grade. Pick a grade below to see the key skills.
Kindergarten
Ages 5–6
Kindergarten lays the foundation for school: recognizing letters and sounds, counting and comparing small numbers, and learning to listen, share, and follow classroom routines.
Reading & Language
- •Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters
- •Produce the primary sound for each consonant
- •Identify rhyming words and blend simple spoken sounds
- •Read common high-frequency words (the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does)
- •Retell familiar stories with key details, including characters and setting
- •Print own first name and most upper- and lowercase letters
Math
- •Count to 100 by ones and tens
- •Write numbers 0–20 and represent quantities with objects
- •Compare two groups using greater than, less than, or equal to
- •Add and subtract within 10 using objects or drawings
- •Identify and describe basic 2-D and 3-D shapes (square, circle, triangle, cube, sphere)
- •Sort objects by attribute (size, color, shape)
Science
- •Observe and describe weather patterns over time
- •Identify what plants and animals need to live
- •Explore pushes and pulls and how they change motion
Social & Learning Skills
- •Follow simple multi-step directions
- •Take turns, share, and resolve small conflicts with words
- •Sit and focus for short lessons (10–15 minutes)
Not sure where your child stands?
We offer a free assessment to identify exactly which skills your student has mastered and where they need support — then build a personalized plan to close the gap.
Sources
Skill summaries are drawn from publicly available learning standards adopted by Washington State and most U.S. school districts: