What Ontario kindergarten students learn in kindergarten

Your child will be able to listen to others and respond to what they hear.

Your child will be able to use both spoken language and body language to communicate.

Your child will learn new words and understand how words can change their meaning by adding or removing parts, like adding "un" to "happy" to make "unhappy.

Your child will be able to explain different ways to measure things.

Your child will be able to compare different objects based on how long they are, how much space they cover, how heavy they are, and how much they can hold, using hands-on materials to help them.

Your child will be able to recognize and name all the letters of the alphabet, both the big (uppercase) and small (lowercase) versions, whether they are in alphabetical order or mixed up.

Your child will be able to form letters correctly when writing.

Your child will be able to separate the sounds in words (phonemes) and put them back together to make words.

Your child will be able to connect letters or groups of letters (graphemes) with the sounds they make (phonemes).

Your child will be able to read and spell simple words by understanding that words are made of individual sounds (this is called phonemic awareness) and that letters or groups of letters make specific sounds (this is called phonics).

Your child will be able to read short sentences smoothly and correctly, including words they've been taught, which helps them understand what they are reading better.

Your child will understand why people choose different kinds of books or other texts to read.

Your child will be able to use their understanding of words, how sentences are put together, and punctuation marks.

Your child will be able to read and understand simple stories and information by using what they already know and by starting to learn about words, grammar (how words are put together in sentences), and how sentences are built.

Your child will be able to share their own thoughts and feelings about the stories and books they read.

Your child will be able to make good guesses about what a new story or book might be about, using what they already know from their own experiences.

Your child will be able to understand how different stories and books relate to each other and to their own life.

Your child will be able to use their understanding of letters, words, and sentences, along with pictures and symbols, to put together short and easy stories or messages.

Your child will be able to use writing tools in the classroom, like wordless books or drawing materials, to help them create simple stories or messages.

Your child will explore how numbers are used in everyday life.

Your child will be able to explain how two numbers between 0 and 20 are connected, like knowing that 5 is 1 more than 4, or that 10 is double 5.

Your child will be able to quickly remember basic addition problems up to 5 (like 2+3=5) and the related subtraction problems (like 5-3=2).

Your child will be able to solve simple addition and subtraction problems up to the number 10 using objects they can touch and move around.

Your child will learn to recognize Canadian coins up to 25 cents and bills up to $10, and understand what each one is worth.

Your child will understand that when they count up, the number of things gets bigger, and when they count down, the number of things gets smaller.

Your child will be able to recognize and write numbers up to 20.

Your child will be able to instantly recognize how many items there are in a small group (up to 5) without needing to count them individually.

Your child will be able to put together and take apart numbers up to 10.

Your child will be able to understand the difference between having more of something, less of something, or the same amount.

Your child will be able to guess how many items are in a small group and then count them to see if their guess was close.

Your child will be able to count up to 20, starting from any number (not just one).

Your child will be able to solve problems where they need to share things equally among a group, using actual objects to help them.

Your child will be able to find, explain, and make patterns.

Your child will be able to find the repeating part of a pattern and explain why knowing that part helps them understand the whole pattern.

Your child will understand that patterns can be shown in different ways, but the main idea of the pattern stays the same.

Your child will be able to continue patterns forward and backward, and figure out what pieces are missing from a pattern.

Your child will be able to group things together based on one shared feature, like sorting all the red blocks into one pile.

Your child will be able to gather information to answer questions they have and show this information using simple graphs made with objects or pictures.

Your child will be able to understand information presented in simple graphs that use real objects or pictures, and use that information to answer questions.

Your child will be able to talk about how likely everyday events are to happen.

Your child will be able to recognize, group, and tell the difference between common 2D shapes like circles, hexagons, rhombuses (diamond shapes), and trapezoids.

Your child will be able to recognize, group, and compare common 3D shapes like cubes, balls (spheres), boxes (prisms), cones, and pyramids.

Your child will be able to point out 3D objects (like a block or a ball) and 2D shapes (like a square or a circle) in things they have built.

Your child will be able to create pictures and build objects that have two identical halves, like a butterfly or a person.

Your child will be able to combine flat shapes to create new ones, break larger shapes into smaller ones, and rearrange them in different ways.

Your child will be able to talk about where things are in space and how they move, and imagine what objects look like from different angles.

Your child will be able to understand and follow directions to get from one place to another, and also be able to give those directions to someone else.

Your child will be able to use words that describe direction and position (like "over," "under," "left," or "right") to give and follow instructions for moving around.

Your child will be able to try out their ideas and make changes to them to make them better.

Your child will be able to explain how to do something, like making a sandwich, using pictures, words, or actions.

Your child will be able to identify problems and ask questions about them.

Your child will be able to guess what might happen next and notice details while they are exploring, investigating, and designing things.

Your child will be able to choose the right materials and tools to do experiments and build models or structures.

Your child will be able to figure out what they learned and share their findings with others.

Your child will be able to plan, construct, and try out different models and structures.

Your child will learn and understand how to follow safety rules, like those that prevent concussions, to help avoid injuries.

Your child will be able to ask questions and talk about things that happen in nature, like why the sky is blue or how a flower grows.

Your child will be able to sort and group living things (like plants and animals) and non-living things (like rocks and toys).

Your child will be able to compare patterns they see in nature, like the stripes on a zebra, with patterns they see in things people have built, like the bricks on a wall.

Your child will be able to share and receive kind words and messages with other children and adults.

Your child will be able to take turns with others.

Your child will be able to understand how to make friends and keep them.

Your child will be able to solve problems when they are with other people.

Your child will be able to do things on their own and understand what it means to be responsible.

Your child will be able to try new things and adjust to changes.

Your child will be able to show they are eager to learn, take charge of their own learning, and feel good about their abilities.

Your child will be able to control their actions and change their behavior to fit different situations.

Your child will learn to understand and share the feelings of others, and how to respond kindly to those feelings.

Your child will understand how being healthy and active helps both their mind and body.

Your child will learn why healthy foods are good for them and discover different ways to eat well.

Your child will learn and talk about good personal hygiene habits, like washing hands, to help keep themselves, their family, and their community healthy.

Your child will be able to talk about what to do if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable, whether they are with people or using the internet, and understand when and how to ask for help.

Your child will be able to talk about what makes them happy or unhappy during playtime, and explain why they feel that way.

Your child will be able to actively join in creative movement and other physical activities every day.

Your child will be able to keep trying at activities that use their big muscles (like running and jumping) and their small muscles (like drawing and cutting), even when it's challenging.

Your child will learn how to work with others and play fairly in different games and activities.

Your child will be able to understand where their body is in space (spatial awareness) while doing activities that use big muscles.

Your child will be able to control their large muscles, like those in their arms and legs, when moving around and playing, even when using equipment.

Your child will be able to move their body in a balanced and coordinated way, using their hands and eyes together, and be flexible in their movements.

Your child will be able to control the small muscles in their hands and fingers when doing different activities and using various tools or materials.

Your child will be able to control their small muscles to do activities like drawing or picking up small objects, which helps them understand where their body is in space.

Your child will be able to identify their own interests, what they are good at, and things they have achieved.

Your child will be able to share what they like and what they prefer to do.

Your child will be able to share their ideas and talk about things they have done.

Your child will understand that people are part of many different groups and communities, and that all these groups together help make up what it means to be Canadian.

Your child will be able to explain, using words or actions, how they help out in the different groups they are a part of.

Your child will learn to respect different ways of thinking and find common ground with others.

Your child will be able to stand up for themselves and act in ways that make themselves and others feel good.

Your child will be able to think about what is fair and unfair, and how people can be biased (show favouritism or prejudice) towards themselves and others. They will also learn to act with kindness and understanding.

Your child will be able to spot unfair treatment and discrimination and know how to react in a suitable way.

Your child will be able to identify different people in their neighbourhood and talk about the jobs they do.

Your child will be able to point out different places and buildings in your community, whether they're natural like a park or human-made like a school, and explain what they are used for.

Your child will be able to compare different places in your community and see what makes them alike and what makes them different.

Your child will be able to explain what might happen if something in their local environment changed.

Your child will be able to talk about different ways they can help take care of and respect the environment.

Your child will be able to share their thoughts and feelings about dance and drama.

Your child will be able to connect with stories and art from different cultures and communities through drama activities, and see how these relate to their own life experiences.

Your child will be able to show how they feel about music by moving to it, connecting it to things they've experienced, or talking about how the music is put together.

Your child will get to know the basic parts of dance, acting, music, and art.

Your child will get to try out different art materials, tools, and ways of making art.

Your child will be able to use their imagination and problem-solving skills to create different kinds of art.

Your child will be able to share their thoughts and feelings using different art forms like dancing, acting, singing, or drawing.