Kindergarten · English Language Arts · Domain guide

Writing in Kindergarten (W.K Standards): Draw, Tell, WriteW.K Standards

Short answer. Kindergarten writing looks nothing like what you probably picture. A drawing of the beach with 'I LK DA BECH' scrawled under it is a fully successful piece of kindergarten writing. The W.K standards expect a combination of drawing, dictating (your child talks, an adult writes), and actual writing to express an opinion ('my favorite book is...'), share information, or tell what happened, in order.

The standards group into three clusters. Text Types and Purposes covers the three kinds of writing: opinion, informative, and narrative. Production and Distribution of Writing is about responding to feedback and trying digital tools, with adult help throughout. Research to Build and Present Knowledge sounds heavy but means things like exploring several books by one author as a group and saying what you think. There is no W.K.4 or W.K.9; the numbering officially skips them in kindergarten.

Grade
Kindergarten
Learning level
Subject
English Language Arts
Skill area
Standards
7
Skills in this domain
Clusters
3
Related skill groups

Every W.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

Text Types and Purposes

3 standards

  1. W.K.1Sharing an Opinion in Pictures and Words (W.K.1)

    Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).

  2. W.K.2Writing to Explain and Inform (W.K.2)

    Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

  3. W.K.3Telling a Story About What Happened (W.K.3)

    Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.

02
Cluster

Production and Distribution of Writing

2 standards

  1. W.K.5Making Writing Better With Help (W.K.5)

    With guidance and support from adults, respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

  2. W.K.6First Steps With Digital Writing Tools (W.K.6)

    With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

03
Cluster

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

2 standards

  1. W.K.7Research Projects, Kindergarten Style (W.K.7)

    Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).

  2. W.K.8Remembering and Gathering Facts to Answer Questions (W.K.8)

    With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

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.

W.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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