CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.1c
The Standard
Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students notice the blank gaps in a printed sentence. They use those gaps to point to, count, and separate individual words.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students track a short sentence one word at a time. They use the blank gaps to count words and identify where each word starts and ends.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may count letters instead of words. They may also treat punctuation as a word or overlook short words such as “a” and “I.”
How to Assess It
- Write “The cat can run.” Ask each student to point to every word, count the words, and show each gap.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give students word cards from a sentence, then have them arrange the cards with finger-width gaps between them.
Show “I see a dog.” and ask, “How can the blank parts help us count the words?”
Play Word or Space by pointing to parts of a sentence while students hold up a word card or space card.
Examine a classroom sign or snack label and use sticky notes to mark each separate word.
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Printable RF.K.1c Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.1c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.1b
Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.1
Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.2a
Use punctuation to separate items in a series.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.1
Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.
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