CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.4

ELAKindergartenCraft and Structure

The Standard

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text

What This Standard Means

Kindergarten students need to notice when a word in an informational text is new or confusing. With teacher help, they should ask what it means and use pictures, repeated reading, and nearby words to figure out the meaning.

Mastery looks like a child saying, “What does habitat mean?” then using the page to explain it in simple words. Students often get stuck by skipping hard words, guessing from one picture only, or repeating the word without showing meaning.

Ways to Teach It

  • Read a nonfiction big book and give students sticky notes to mark one word they do not know on each page.
  • Ask, “Which word was tricky today, and what helped you understand it?” after reading a short animal fact page.
  • Show three target words from the text and ask students to point to a picture or say a meaning for one.
  • Bring in a labeled classroom object, like a thermometer, and read a short page that uses the same word.

Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.4

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What This Unlocks

Mastery here sets students up for these next.

Related Standards

Standard text verified against corestandards.org on July 10, 2026.

Page updated July 10, 2026.

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