CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2a
The Standard
Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students find where a sentence begins and choose the uppercase form of its opening letter. They also use uppercase I when writing about themselves.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students begin each complete sentence with an uppercase letter. They always write I in uppercase, even when it appears in the middle of a sentence.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may use a lowercase i when writing about themselves. They may also capitalize every word or miss the opening capital after a period.
How to Assess It
- Give students: “i see a dog. it can run.” Ask them to rewrite both sentences with capitals in the correct places.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs word cards to build sentences, then have them replace the first lowercase card with its uppercase match.
Display “i like cats” and ask students to explain which letters need changing and why.
Play Capital Detective by having students circle correct capitals and fix errors on sentence strips.
Students write a two-sentence note to a family member, checking each sentence opening and every use of I.
Free download
Printable L.K.2a Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetLearning progression
Where This Standard Sits
What This Unlocks
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