What your child learns in Kindergarten in Minnesota
Kindergarten in Minnesota is a year of learning through play, stories and hands-on activities. Children learn letters and sounds, count to 100 by ones and tens, and add and subtract within 5. Science explores what plants and animals need, pushes and pulls, weather and the sun's warmth, and social studies is “Family and Community”: belonging, rules, needs and wants, maps of nearby places and words for past and future.
Kindergarten subjects in the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards
Math
Focus areas
- Patterns and relationships: counting to 100, numbers to 20, and adding and subtracting within 10
- Spatial reasoning, data and probability: naming and comparing shapes, comparing lengths and weights, and sorting
- Mathematical practices: making sense of problems and explaining reasoning
11 units, including Count to 10, Make 5 and 10, Add & Take Away, More, Less, Same.
English Language Arts
Focus areas
- Reading: letters and sounds, rhyming, sight words, and asking about stories
- Writing, speaking and listening: drawing and telling ideas, and taking turns in conversation
- Language: building vocabulary and using grammar, spelling and punctuation
12 units, including Letter Partners, First Sounds, Rhyme Time, Clap the Beat.
Science
Focus areas
- Living things and their needs, pushes and pulls, weather and the sun's warmth
- Science and engineering practices: observing, sorting and asking questions
- How science connects to people and communities in Minnesota and beyond
9 units, including What Living Things Need, Materials, Push & Pull, Weather & Seasons.
Social Studies
Focus areas
- Theme: Family and Community
- Rules, fairness and belonging
- Needs, wants, goods and services
10 units, including All About Me, I Am Me, Families, Fair & Kind.
Printable Kindergarten sheets
One free practice sheet for each subject, with an answer key. Print them, or work through them on screen.
What to look for on the report card
Expect comments on letters and sounds, counting, following routines, getting along with classmates and how your child shares ideas.
Minnesota has no statewide report-card scale in Kindergarten, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
Minnesota's social and emotional learning competencies apply in every grade. Read about Social emotional learning.
The four practice steps in Kindergarten
- Beginning
- Practice shows a first understanding of the learning standards. Most answers still need a hint or a second try.
- At home: Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Practice shows a partial understanding of the learning standards. Some answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try.
- At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Practice shows a deep understanding of the learning standards, including harder, unfamiliar questions.
- At home: Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Common questions
Kindergarten covers math, English language arts, science, social studies in the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. Kindergarten in Minnesota is a year of learning through play, stories and hands-on activities. Children learn letters and sounds, count to 100 by ones and tens, and add and subtract within 5. Science explores what plants and animals need, pushes and pulls, weather and the sun's warmth, and social studies is “Family and Community”: belonging, rules, needs and wants, maps of nearby places and words for past and future.
Minnesota has no statewide report-card scale in Kindergarten, so Gradelings describes practice in four steps: Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding.
Practice shows a solid understanding of the learning standards. Most answers are right on the first try. At home: Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
About 10 minutes a day of short practice works better than long sessions, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Count everyday things out loud: stairs, grapes, steps to the car. Read aloud every day and let your child finish familiar phrases. Praise effort, and stop on a success.
Practice Kindergarten skills with Gradelings
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