Kindergarten · English Language Arts · Domain guide

Reading: Informational Text in Kindergarten (RI.K)RI.K Standards

Short answer. Somewhere around age 5, a lot of kids trade storybooks for books about sharks, volcanoes, and garbage trucks. RI.K meets them there. It covers what kindergarteners do with nonfiction: name the main topic, retell key details, point out the front cover and title page, and connect what a photo shows to what the words say. As with the literature standards, adult prompting and support is baked in.

Four clusters organize the domain, and they mirror the RL.K set. Key Ideas and Details handles topics, details, and connections between ideas. Craft and Structure covers unknown words, book parts, and the jobs of author and illustrator. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas gets into pictures, the reasons an author gives, and comparing two books on the same topic. Range of Reading rounds it out with active group reading.

Grade
Kindergarten
Learning level
Subject
English Language Arts
Skill area
Standards
10
Skills in this domain
Clusters
4
Related skill groups

Every RI.K standard, in order

Open a code for the official wording, a plain-English answer, what the skill can look like at home, and simple activities. The list below follows the Common Core sequence.

01
Cluster

Key Ideas and Details

3 standards

  1. RI.K.1Ask and Answer Questions About Nonfiction (RI.K.1)

    With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

  2. RI.K.2Name the Main Topic and Retell Key Details (RI.K.2)

    With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

  3. RI.K.3Describe How Two Things Connect in a Text (RI.K.3)

    With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

02
Cluster

Craft and Structure

3 standards

  1. RI.K.4Ask About New Words in Nonfiction Books (RI.K.4)

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

  2. RI.K.5Find the Front Cover, Back Cover, and Title Page (RI.K.5)

    Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.

  3. RI.K.6Name the Author and Illustrator of Nonfiction (RI.K.6)

    Name the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in a text.

03
Cluster

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

3 standards

  1. RI.K.7Connect Pictures to the Words in Nonfiction (RI.K.7)

    With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

  2. RI.K.8Find the Reasons an Author Gives (RI.K.8)

    With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

  3. RI.K.9Compare Two Books on the Same Topic (RI.K.9)

    With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

04
Cluster

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

1 standard

  1. RI.K.10Join Group Reading of Nonfiction With Purpose (RI.K.10)

    Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

More than a standards list

Use the framework guide for context, the learning hub for explanations, or printable practice when your child is ready to work on a skill.

RI.K is part of the Common Core State Standards. Whizki keeps official wording separate from parent-friendly explanations.

All Common Core parent guides

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