e. Use the most frequently occurring prepositions
f. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities
Conventions of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling (L.K.2) include the following:
a. Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun
b. Recognize and name end punctuation
c. Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds
d. Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships
Some conventions are clearly related to language development as children expand their
grammatical knowledge and vocabulary. Others are closely related to foundational skills. Spelling,
at this time in its developmental progression, is particularly intertwined with the development of
foundational skills in reading—knowledge of the alphabet, phonemic awareness, and letter-sound
relationships. Decoding and encoding are taught in ways that reflect this reciprocal relationship. (In
subsequent grade levels, spelling instruction is more closely connected with instruction in morphology.
See the overview of the span in chapter 4 of this ELA/ELD Framework for a discussion of the stages
of spelling development, including the beginning stages typical of children in transitional kindergarten
through grade one.) Conventions are integrated into each strand of the language arts and applied to
every subject matter.
Content Knowledge
The kindergarten program includes thoughtful, systematic attention
to the content areas, guided by California’s subject matter content
standards and adopted instructional materials. Teachers provide
instruction in the subject matter and involve children in investigations,
experiments, and explorations. In addition, to enhance both literacy
learning and content learning, teachers provide children with many
opportunities for wide reading (largely through teacher read alouds),
meaningful interactions with informational texts, and participation in
shared research projects. See previous content knowledge sections
in this chapter. See also chapter 2 for a discussion of wide and
independent reading.Foundational Skills
In kindergarten, children gain an understanding of print concepts,
develop phonological awareness, and acquire initial phonics and
word recognition skills (RF.K.1–3). In addition, they develop fluency
appropriate for this level (RF.K.4). These foundational skills are vital
for independence with written language, and instructional programs
include a clear systematic focus on their development.
Print Concepts
Although many children enter kindergarten with an understanding
of print concepts, some do not. The amount of attention devoted to this
reading substrand of the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy necessarily depends
upon the learner’s existing knowledge. By the end of kindergarten, all
children should acquire an understanding of the organization and basic
features of print (RF.K.1), including (a) printed English is read and written from left to right and212 | Chapter 3 Kindergarten