Kindergarten English Language Arts
14 units matched to the Nunavut Curriculum. Kids see this subject as “Letters & Words”.
Learning focus
- Uqausiliriniq: communication and language, creative and artistic expression, and reflective and critical thinking.
- Comprehension: listen, view and read to understand a range of texts.
- Production: speak, write and represent ideas clearly for different audiences and purposes.
Units
Unit 1
Letter Partners
Matching capital (big) letters with their lowercase (small) partners, including look-alikes such as b, d, p and q.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · naming upper- and lowercase letters
Unit 2
First Sounds
Hearing the first sound in a word (b in bus) and linking it to its letter. Say the words out loud together and stretch out the first sound.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · identifying first sounds, and linking letters and sounds
Unit 3
Rhyme Time
Hearing rhymes (cat, hat) and spotting a word that doesn't rhyme. Rhyming games build the listening skills behind reading.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Comprehension · recognizing rhyme
Unit 4
Clap the Beat
Breaking words into syllables (ba-na-na) by clapping. Clap along out loud: one clap for each part you hear.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · clapping the syllables in words
Unit 5
Blend a Word
Listening for the sounds in a word, blending them to read it, and counting the sounds in words.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Comprehension · using letters and sounds to read and spell words
Unit 6
Sight Words
Recognizing common words such as the, see, can and my, plus colour and number words, by looking closely at their letters.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Comprehension · reading and spelling familiar words
Unit 7
Picture Clues
Using the picture and the first letter to read a word or a short sentence, a key early reading strategy.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · using pictures and first letters to work out a word
Unit 8
Book Detectives
How print works: telling letters, numbers, words and sentences apart, reading left to right and top to bottom, counting words, and what authors and illustrators do.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · the parts of a book, and how print and pictures carry meaning
Unit 9
Story Order
Putting events in order, and listening to short stories to tell what happened at the beginning, middle and end.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Comprehension · retelling a story in order
Unit 10
Listening & Talking
Practises what a good listener looks like, asking who, what and where questions, speaking in whole sentences, and choosing a voice and words that suit the listener. Take turns chatting with your child and ask them to say back what they heard.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Comprehension · listening, asking questions, speaking in simple sentences and talking to different audiences
Unit 11
Word Parts & Meanings
Practises how a small word part changes a word (-s for more than one, -ing for happening now, un- for not), grouping words by topic, opposites and same-meaning words, and naming picture parts with labels.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · word parts that change meaning, a growing vocabulary and topic words
Unit 12
Think About a Book
Practises what readers do before, during and after a book: using the cover and what they already know to predict, making connections to their own lives, asking questions, seeing themselves in books, and noticing that people can respond differently to the same text.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Comprehension · using what we know to predict, connecting, asking questions and responding to texts
Unit 13
Capitals, Periods & Planning
Practises capital letters for names, I and the start of a sentence, periods and exclamation marks, five- or six-word sentences, planning a piece of writing by drawing or talking, putting ideas in order, simple text forms such as lists, letters, stories and information, and changing a piece after feedback.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · planning and making simple texts, capital letters, periods and exclamation marks
Unit 14
I Can Do It!
Practises noticing when something is confusing, asking for help, using a smiley or thumb to show understanding, talking about what went well, and setting small learning goals. It builds a kind, growing way of thinking about learning.
Approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Comprehension · noticing understanding, listening to feedback, simple goals and recognizing progress
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