Maryland ELA RF.K.2.f

ELAKindergartenReading Foundational Skills

The Standard

RF.K.2: Demonstrate understanding of rhyming words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). Recognize and produce rhyming words. Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words. Distinguish between sounds (phonemes) using knowledge of place and manner of articulation. Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words. Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.* (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.) Orally blend and segment individual phonemes in two; three; and four-phoneme words.

Orally blend and segment individual phonemes in two; three; and four-phoneme words.

Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students listen to separate sounds and put them together to say a word. They also say a word slowly and give each sound in order, including sounds next to each other in words like 'stop.'
What Mastery Looks Like: When they hear /s/ /t/ /ŏ/ /p/, they say 'stop.' Given 'stop,' they say those four sounds in order. They can do the same with shorter words like 'at' and 'map' without seeing the words.
Common Misconceptions: Some children clap once for the syllable in 'stop' instead of saying its four sounds. Others skip /t/ or add an 'uh' after /p/. When shown 'ship,' they may count four letters instead of hearing three sounds.
How to Assess It: Say /ă/ /t/, /m/ /ă/ /p/, and /s/ /t/ /ŏ/ /p/ one at a time, and ask each child to name the word. Then say 'at,' 'map,' and 'stop,' and ask for each sound.

Lesson moves

Give children counters and say 'at,' 'map,' and 'stop'; have them push one counter per sound, then sweep the counters together as they say each word.
Ask partners, 'In stop, what sound comes after /s/? What sound comes before /p/?' Have them say the whole word between answers.
Play mystery word: say /m/ /ă/ /p/ or /s/ /t/ /ŏ/ /p/, then have children name the word and tap its sounds.
Hold up a cup and point to a desk; have children say each name, pull apart its sounds, then blend them again.

Free download