Diocese of Sacramento
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS
for grades K - 2
LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
Kindergarten
Reading
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic
Vocabulary Development
Students know about letters, words, and
sounds. They apply this knowledge
to read simple sentences.
Concepts About Print
1.1 Identify the front cover, back cover, and title
page of a book (e.g. Bible, biblical storybooks, and general literature).
1.2 Follow words from left to right and from top to
bottom on the printed page.
1.3 Understand that printed materials provide
information.
1.4 Recognize that sentences in print are made up of
separate words.
1.5 Distinguish letters from words.
1.6 Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase
letters of the alphabet.
Phonemic Awareness
1.7 Track (move sequentially from
sound to sound) and represent the number, sameness/ difference, and order of
two and three isolated phonemes (e.g., /f, s, th/, /j, d, j/).
1.8 Track and represent changes in simple syllables
and words with two and three sounds as one sound is added, substituted,
omitted, shifted, or repeated (e.g., vowel-consonant, consonant-vowel, or
consonant-vowel-consonant).
1.9 Blend vowel-consonant sounds orally to make words
or syllables.
1.10 Identify and produce rhyming words in response to an oral
prompt.
1.11 Distinguish orally stated one-syllable words and separate into
beginning or ending sounds.
1.12 Track auditorily each word in a sentence
and each syllable in a word..
1.13 Count the number of sounds in syllables
and syllables in words
Decoding
and Word Recognition
1.14 Match all consonant and short-vowel sounds to
appropriate letters.
1.15 Read simple one-syllable, high-frequency sight words. (e.g. God, love, Mom, Dad)
1.16 Understand that as letters of words change, so do the sounds (e.g.,
the alphabetic principle).
Vocabulary and
Concept Development
1.17 Identify and sort common words in basic
categories (e.g., colors, shapes, foods).
1.18 Describe common objects and events in both
general and specific language.
2.0 Reading Comprehension
Structural Features of Informational Materials
2.1 Locate the title, table of contents,
name of author, and name of illustrator (e.g. Bible, biblical storybooks,
general literature).
Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
2.2 Use pictures and context to make predictions about story
content.
2.3 Connect to life experiences the information and events
in texts.
2.4 Retell familiar stories from literature and the Bible.
2.5 Ask and answer questions about essential elements of a
text.
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
Narrative Analysis of
Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.1 Distinguish
fantasy from realistic text. (e.g. Bible includes
factual and historical information.)
3.2 Identify types of everyday
print materials (e.g., Bible, storybooks, poems, newspapers, signs, labels).
3.3 Identify
characters, settings, and important events, including those from our Catholic
faith.
Writing
1.0 Writing Strategies
Organization and Focus
1.1 Use
letters and phonetically spelled words to write about experiences, stories,
people, objects, or events. (e.g. God, Jesus, love,
Mom, Dad)
1.2 Write
consonant-vowel-consonant words (i.e., demonstrate the alphabetic principle).
1.3 Write by
moving from left to right and from top to bottom.
Penmanship
1.4 Write
upper case and lower case letters of the alphabet independently, attending to
the form and proper spacing of the letters.
Written and Oral
English Language Conventions
Sentence Structure
1.1 Recognize and
use complete, coherent sentences when speaking.
Spelling
1.2 Spell
independently by using pre-phonetic knowledge, sounds of the alphabet, and
knowledge of letter names.
Listening and Speaking
1.0 Listening and Speaking
Strategies
Comprehension
1.1 Understand
and follow one- and two-step oral directions.
1.2 hare information
and ideas, speaking audibly in complete, coherent sentences
1.3 Describe
how characters in stories lived a Christ-like life.
1.4 Discuss,
comprehend, and relate Biblical, and other forms of
literature, to daily faith formation.
1.5 Describe
people, places, things (e.g., size, color, shape),
locations and actions
1.6 Recite
short poems, rhymes, and songs.
1.7 Relate
an experience or creative story in a logical sequence.
1.8 Discuss
biblical stories and stories that exemplify our Catholic faith.
FIRST GRADE
LANGUAGE ARTS
STANDARDS
Reading
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic
Vocabulary Development
Students understand the basic features of
reading. They select letter
patterns and know how to translate them into spoken language by using phonics,
syllabication, and word parts. They
apply this knowledge to achieve fluent oral and silent reading. Where possible
and appropriate, the teacher will incorporate readings and writings expressive
of the Catholic faith.
Concepts about Print
1.1 Match oral words to printed words.
1.2 Identify the title and author of a reading selection,
and make use of religion class resources.
1.3 Identify letters, words, and sentences.
Phonemic Awareness
1.4 Distinguish initial, medial, and
final sounds in single-syllable words.
1.5 Distinguish long- and short-vowel sounds in orally
stated single-syllable words (e.g., bit/bite).
1.6 Create and state a series of rhyming words, including
consonant blends.
1.7 Add, delete, or change target sounds to change words
(e.g., change cow to how; pan to an).
1.8 Blend two to four phonemes into recognizable words
(e.g., /c/a/t/ = cat; /f/l/a/t/ = flat).
1.9 Segment single syllable words into their components
(e.g., cat = /c/a/t/; splat = /s/p/l/a/t/).
Decoding and Word
Recognition
1.10 Generate the sounds from all the letters and
letter patterns, including consonant blends and long- and short-vowel patterns
(i.e., phonograms), and blend those sounds into recognizable words.
1.11 Read common, irregular sight words (e.g., the, have, said, come,
give, of).
1.12 Use knowledge of vowel digraphs and r-controlled letter-sound
associations to read words.
1.13 Read compound words and contractions.
1.14 Read inflectional forms (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing) and root words (e.g., look, looked, looking).
1.15 Read common word families (e.g., -ite,
-ate).
1.16 Read aloud with fluency in a manner that sounds like natural speech.
Vocabulary and
Concept Development
1.17 Classify grade-appropriate categories of words (e.g.,
concrete collections of animals, foods, toys. Articles found in the church).
2.0 Reading Comprehension
Students read
and understand grade-level-appropriate material, including grade level
Bibles. They draw upon a variety of
comprehension strategies as needed (e.g., generating and responding to
essential questions, making predictions, comparing information from several
sources). Students will be introduced to the different genre found in
scripture. In addition to their regular school reading, by grade four, students
read one-half million words annually, including a good representation of
grade-level-appropriate narrative and expository text (e.g., classic and
contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online information). In grade one,
students begin to make progress toward this goal.
Structural Features of Informational Materials
2.1 Identify text
that uses sequence and other logical order. Where appropriate use saint stories
and scripture.
Comprehension and Analysis of Text
2.2 Respond to who, what, when, where, and how questions.
2.3 Follow one-step written instructions.
2.4 Use context to resolve ambiguities about word and
sentence meanings.
2.5 Confirm predictions about what will happen next in a
text by identifying key words (i.e., signpost words).
2.6 Relate prior knowledge to textual information.
2.7 Retell the central ideas of simple expository or
narrative passages.
2.8 Apply prior knowledge and central idea to all areas of
curriculum, including scripture stories.
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
Students read
and respond to a wide variety of significant works of children’s
literature, including those with religious themes and the Bible. They distinguish between the structural
features of the text and the literary terms or elements (e.g., theme, plot,
setting, characters).
Narrative Analysis of Text
3.1 Identify and describe the elements of plot, setting, and
character(s) in a story, as well as the story’s beginning, middle and ending.
Apply when using parables and other scripture stories.
3.2 Describe the roles of authors and illustrators and their
contributions to print material.
3.3 Recollect, talk, and write about books read during the school year.
Writing
1.0 Writing Strategies
Organization and Focus
1.1 Select
a focus when writing.
1.2 Use
descriptive words when writing.
Penmanship
1.3 Print
legibly and space letters, words, and sentences appropriately.
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Using the
writing strategies of grade one outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:
2.1 Write brief
narratives (e.g., fictional, autobiographical) describing a Christian
experience.
2.2 Write brief
expository descriptions of a real object, person, place, or event, using
sensory details.
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
The standards for written and
oral English language conventions have been placed between those for writing and
for listening and speaking because these conventions are essential to both sets
of skills.
Sentence Structure
1.1 Write and
speak in complete, coherent sentences.
Grammar
1.2 Identify and
correctly use singular and plural nouns.
1.3 Identify and
correctly use contractions (e.g., isn’t, aren’t, can’t,
won’t) and singular possessive pronouns (e.g., my/mine, his/her, hers,
your/s) in writing and speaking.
Punctuation
1.4 Distinguish
between declarative, exclamatory, and interrogative sentences.
1.5 Use a period,
exclamation point, or question mark at the end of sentences.
1.6 Use knowledge
of the basic rules of punctuation and capitalization when writing.
Capitalization
1.7 Capitalize the
first word of a sentence, names of people, and the pronoun I.
Spelling
1.8 Spell three-
and four-letter short-vowel words and grade-level-appropriate sight words
correctly.
Listening and Speaking
1.0 Listening and Speaking
Strategies
Comprehension
1.1 Listen
attentively.
1.2 Ask questions for
clarification and understanding.
1.3 Give, restate,
and follow simple two-step directions.
Organization and Delivery of Oral
Communication
1.4 Stay on the
topic when speaking.
1.5 Use
descriptive words when speaking about people, places, things, and events.
2.0 Speaking Applications
(Genres and Their Characteristics)
Use Speaking Strategies from 1.0
2.1 Recite poems,
rhymes, songs, secular stories, and Bible verses and stories.
2.2 Retell stories
using basic story grammar and relating the sequence of story events by
answering who, what, when, where, why and how questions. Apply this skill to
Bible stories.
2.3 Relate an
important life event or personal experience in a simple sequence.
2.4 Provide descriptions with careful
attention to sensory detail.
LANGUAGE
ARTS STANDARDS
Grade Two
Reading
1.0 Word
Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
Students
understand the basic features of reading.
They select letter patterns and know how to translate them into spoken
language by using phonics, syllabication, and word parts. They apply this knowledge to achieve
fluent oral and silent reading.
Decoding and Word Recognition
1.1 Recognize and use knowledge of
spelling patterns (e.g., diphthongs, special vowel spellings) when reading.
1.2 Apply knowledge of basic
syllabication rules when reading (e.g., vowel-consonant-vowel = su/per; vowel-consonant/consonant-vowel = sup/per).
1.3 Decode two-syllable nonsense words
and regular multi-syllable words.
1.4 Recognize common abbreviations
(e.g., Jan., Sun., Mr., St.).
1.5 Identify and correctly use regular
plurals (e.g., -s, -es, -ies)
and irregular plurals (e.g., fly/flies, wife/wives).
1.6 Read aloud fluently and accurately
and with appropriate intonation and expression.
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.7 Understand and explain common
antonyms and synonyms.
1.8 Use knowledge of individual words
in unknown compound words to predict their meaning.
1.9 Know the meaning of simple prefixes
and suffixes (e.g., over-, un-, -ing, -ly).
1.10 Identify simple multiple-meaning words.
2.0 Reading Comprehension
Students read
and understand grade-level-appropriate material, including grade-level
Bibles. They draw upon a variety of
comprehension strategies as needed (e.g., generating and responding to
essential questions, making predictions, comparing
information from several sources). In addition to their
regular school reading, by grade four, students read one-half million words
annually, including a good representation of grade-level-appropriate narrative
and expository text (e.g., classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, including The Catholic Herald, online
information and religious texts).
In grade two, students continue to make progress toward this goal.
Structural Features of Informational Materials
2.1 Use titles, tables of contents, and
chapter headings to locate information in expository text.
Comprehension
and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
2.2 State the purpose in reading (i.e.,
tell what information is sought).
2.3 Use knowledge of the author’s
purpose(s) to comprehend informational text.
2.4 Ask clarifying questions about
essential textural elements of exposition (e.g., why, what if, how).
2.5 Restate facts and details in the
text to clarify and organize ideas.
2.6 Recognize cause-and-effect
relationships in a text.
2.7 Interpret information from
diagrams, charts, and graphs.
2.8 Follow two-step written instructions.
3.0 Literary
Response and Analysis
Students read and respond to a
wide variety of significant works of children’s literature and the
Bible. They distinguish between the
structural features of the text and the literary terms or elements (e.g.,
theme, plot, setting, characters).
The selections in Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight and selected Bible stories, illustrate
the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students.
Narrative Analysis of Grade-level-Appropriate Text
3.1 Compare and contrast plots,
settings, and characters presented by different authors.
3.2 Generate alternative endings to
plots and identify the reason or reasons for, and the impact of, the
alternatives.
3.3 Compare and contrast different
versions of the same stories that reflect different cultures.
3.4 Identify the use of rhythm, rhyme,
and alliteration in poetry.
Writing
1.0 Writing
Strategies
Organization and Focus
1.1 Group
related ideas and maintain a consistent focus.
Penmanship
1.2 Create
readable documents with legible handwriting.
Research
1.3 Understand
the purposes of various reference materials (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus,
atlas, internet).
Evaluation and Revision
1.4 Revise
original drafts to improve sequence and provide more descriptive detail.
2.0 Writing
Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Using the writing strategies of grade two,
outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, student:
2.1 Write brief narratives based on
their Christian experiences:
a. Move through a logical sequence of
events.
b. Describe the setting, characters,
objects, and events in detail.
c. Journal in a First Communion Memory
Book.
2.2 Write a friendly letter complete with
the date, salutation, body, closing, and signature, (e.g. a letter to
grandparents about their First Communion)..
2.3 Write a church petition.
Written
and Oral English Language Conventions
The standards for
written and oral English language conventions have been placed between those
for writing and for listening and speaking because these conventions are
essential to both sets of skills.
Sentence Structure
1.1 Distinguish between complete and
incomplete sentences.
1.2 Recognize and use the correct word
order in written sentences.
Grammar
1.3 Identify and correctly use various
parts of speech, including nouns and verbs, in writing and speaking.
Punctuation
1.4 Use commas in the greeting and
closure of a letter and with dates and items in a series.
1.5 Use quotation marks correctly.
Capitalization
1.6 Capitalize all proper nouns, words
at the beginning of sentences and greetings, months and days of the week, and
titles and initials of people.
Spelling
1.7 Spell frequently used, irregular
words correctly (e.g., was, were, says, said, who, what, why).
1.8 Spell basic short-vowel,
long-vowel, r-controlled, and consonant-blend patterns correctly.
Listening and Speaking
1.0 Listening
and Speaking Strategies
Comprehension
1.1 Determine the purpose or purposes
of listening (e.g., to obtain information, to solve problems, for enjoyment).
1.2 Ask for clarification and
explanation of stories and ideas.
1.3 Paraphrase information that has
been shared orally by others.
1.4 Give and follow three- and
four-step oral directions.
Organization
and Delivery of Oral Communication
1.5 Organize presentations to maintain
a clear focus.
1.6 Speak clearly and at an appropriate
pace for the type of communication (e.g., informal discussion, report to
class).
1.7 Recount experiences in a logical
sequence.
1.8 Retell stories, including
characters, setting, and plot.
1.9 Report on a topic with supportive
facts and details.
2.0 Speaking
Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Using the speaking strategies of grade two outlined
in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0, students:
2.1 Recount experiences or present
stories:
a. Move through a logical
sequence of events
(e.g. retell Bible stories).
b. Describe story elements
(e.g., characters, plot, setting).
2.2 Report on a topic with facts and
details, drawing from several sources of information.
2.3 Recite Bible verses, prayers, and
songs.
2.4 Read in Mass or present a Mass
reading in class.
Language Arts
Tracking Sheet – Kindergarten
Language Arts
Tracking Sheet – First Grade
Language Arts Tracking
Sheet – Second Grade