Skill Development in Grades K through 5

by FamilyEducation Staff

Kindergarten
Your child should be able to:

1. Match sounds to each alphabet letter.
2. Recognize and use rhyming words.
3. Recognize a few frequently used sight words such as the, and, is.
4. Count, recognize, and write the numbers up to 20.
5. Identify days of the week and seasons of the year.

First Grade
Your child should be able to:

1. Sound out words using their knowledge of consonants, vowels, and digraphs.
2. Read at least 100 sight words.
3. Recall the sequence of events in oral and written stories.
4. Write words legibly in manuscript form.
5. Add and subtract numbers up to 10.

Second Grade
Your child should be able to:

1. Automatically read 200 commonly used words.
2. Recognize and use nouns and action verbs in sentences.
3. Add and subtract any two-digit number.
4. Handle place value concepts for three-digit whole numbers.
5. Identify the value of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollars.

Third Grade
Your child should be able to:

1. Identify the plot, setting, and main characters of a story.
2. Write sentences with subject/verb agreement.
3. Write paragraphs with a topic/main idea sentence and supporting details.
4. Add and subtract any numbers between 100 and 1,000.
5. Multiply numbers to 9 x 9 and be able to determine each related division fact.

Fourth Grade
Your child should be able to:

1. Use contextual clues to discover the meaning of words.
2. Understand and use the steps of the writing process from pre-writing to the final draft.
3. Use encyclopedias, newspapers, atlases, and magazines as resources.
4. Add and subtract fractions.
5. Divide by one-and two-digit numbers.

Fifth Grade
Your child should be able to:

1. Increase their vocabularies through the use of synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and analogies.
2. Recognize and use all parts of speech.
3. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions and decimals.
4. Determine the perimeter of polygons and the area of squares and rectangles.
5. Understand basic United States history, geography, economics, and government.