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Texas TEKS Standards
Explained for Parents

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) is the K-12 academic framework every Texas public school uses. Texas never adopted Common Core. This guide explains what TEKS covers in the early grades, how it differs from Common Core, and how to support your child at home.

How to Read This Page

TEKS covers all major subjects across K-12, not just math and ELA. The early-grade cards on this page describe kindergarten and 1st grade expectations in plain English. Read the section that matches your child's grade first.

This page is parent-facing. The official text lives at tea.texas.gov. We have translated it into plain English without changing the substance.

A friendly illustration of a Texas elementary student counting and reading at a desk, showing the everyday version of TEKS kindergarten skills.

TEKS covers more subjects than Common Core. Math and ELA in K-12 are the most visible, but TEKS also defines what Texas kids learn in science, social studies, fine arts, and health.

What are TEKS in simple words?

TEKS stands for Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. They are the academic standards used in every Texas public school and most charter schools, kindergarten through 12th grade. TEKS covers math, ELA, science, social studies, fine arts, health, and other subjects — a wider scope than Common Core, which only covers math and ELA.

The big picture: Texas does not use Common Core. TEKS is the Texas version of "what kids learn at each grade". The Texas STAAR test measures TEKS mastery. Most kindergarten and 1st grade content overlaps with Common Core foundational skills (counting, phonics, addition), with some Texas-specific items like early financial literacy.

What TEKS Covers in the Early Grades

TEKS is organized by subject and grade. Each card explains one subject area in plain English, with examples for kindergarten and 1st grade plus printable practice that matches.

1. Mathematics TEKS (K-2)

  • Number and Operations. Count to 100 by ones and tens. Compare numbers. Add and subtract within 10 (K), within 20 (grade 1), within 100 (grade 2).
  • Algebraic Reasoning. Patterns, equality, simple equations.
  • Geometry and Measurement. 2D and 3D shapes, length, weight, time, money.
  • Data Analysis. Sort, classify, count, and represent data in pictures or simple bar graphs.
  • Personal Financial Literacy. Texas-specific. Coins, simple saving, wants vs needs.

2. English Language Arts and Reading TEKS (K-2)

  • Foundational Language Skills. Phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary.
  • Comprehension Skills. Asking and answering questions about a text, retelling stories.
  • Response Skills. Writing or drawing in response to a text.
  • Multiple Genres. Reading literary and informational texts.
  • Author's Craft. Noticing how words and structure work in a story (introduced gradually).
  • Composition. Writing simple stories, opinions, and informative pieces.
  • Inquiry and Research. Asking questions and gathering information.

Printed workbooks:

Alphabet Tracing workbook

3. Science TEKS (K-2)

  • Scientific Investigation and Reasoning. Asking questions, observing, sorting, predicting.
  • Matter and Energy. Properties of objects, water states, basic forms of energy (light, sound, heat).
  • Force, Motion, and Energy. Push, pull, roll, simple machines later.
  • Earth and Space. Weather, seasons, day and night, basic Earth features.
  • Organisms and Environments. Plants, animals, basic needs, life cycles.

Printed workbooks:

Whizki Facts About workbook

4. Social Studies TEKS (K-2)

  • History. Past, present, future. Holidays and people who shaped Texas.
  • Geography. Maps, location, neighborhoods, communities.
  • Economics. Wants, needs, jobs, simple money concepts.
  • Government and Citizenship. Rules, fairness, school and community helpers.
  • Culture. Family customs, holidays, languages spoken at home.

Printable practice:

Kindergarten social studies

Read on the blog:

School readiness articles

TEKS vs Common Core: Quick Reality Check

Texas TEKS and Common Core get compared often. Here is what is and is not different at the kindergarten level:

  • TEKS covers more subjects than Common Core (science, social studies, fine arts, health, financial literacy).
  • Texas has its own pre-K guidelines, separate from TEKS, that align with ELOF.
  • Kindergarten math goals (counting, comparing, adding within 10) look very similar between TEKS and Common Core.
  • TEKS introduces personal financial literacy in kindergarten, which Common Core does not.
  • TEKS ELA structure (Foundational, Comprehension, Response, etc.) differs from Common Core's, but the core early-reading skills are the same.
  • STAAR is a Texas-specific test for TEKS. Common Core has its own assessment consortia (Smarter Balanced, PARCC), but neither operates in Texas.

If your child's school is in Texas, you can mostly ignore Common Core. Watch what your teacher emphasizes and use printables that match those skills. The early-grade fundamentals are nearly identical across all U.S. frameworks.

Frequently asked questions

What does TEKS stand for?

TEKS stands for Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. It is the K-12 academic standards framework used by every Texas public school district, covering math, ELA, science, social studies, fine arts, health, and more.

Is Texas a Common Core state?

No. Texas never adopted Common Core. The state uses TEKS, its own grade-by-grade standards. While many of the early-grade ideas overlap with Common Core, the wording, sequence, and some emphases differ.

Are TEKS easier or harder than Common Core?

Neither, really. They are different. TEKS introduces certain math concepts earlier than Common Core, like financial literacy in kindergarten. ELA structure also differs. The overall rigor is comparable.

When were TEKS last revised?

TEKS are revised on a regular cycle by the Texas State Board of Education. Math TEKS were substantially revised in 2012, English Language Arts and Reading in 2017, and many other subjects on a rolling basis. The Texas Education Agency website always shows the current version.

Do private schools in Texas follow TEKS?

Private schools in Texas are not required to follow TEKS. Many do anyway, fully or in part, because TEKS aligns with how Texas public school students are assessed (STAAR). Public charter schools generally do follow TEKS.

What is STAAR and how does it relate to TEKS?

STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) is the standardized test most Texas public school students take in grades 3-12. STAAR tests measure what TEKS describes. TEKS is the standards, STAAR is the test.

What about Texas pre-K standards?

Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines (separate from TEKS) cover ages 3-5. They align closely with ELOF and describe what most Texas preschoolers know and can do across language, math, science, social studies, fine arts, motor, and social-emotional growth.

Where do I find TEKS-aligned worksheets?

The Whizki printable library covers the same foundational skills TEKS tracks: counting, addition, sight words, phonics, fine motor, basic geometry. Browse the kindergarten and 1st grade sections for hands-on practice that matches Texas kindergarten and 1st grade TEKS.

Take the Next Step

TEKS-Aligned
Worksheets

TEKS

Practice that matches kindergarten and 1st grade TEKS skills: counting to 100, comparing, addition within 10 then 20, phonics, sight words, shapes, fine motor. Free to print, screen-free.

Browse Kindergarten Worksheets

Compare With Other U.S. Frameworks

TEKS is the Texas K-12 framework. These sibling guides explain the frameworks used elsewhere or for younger children.

Common Core (CCSS)

The most widely adopted K-12 standards in the U.S. covers math and ELA. Helpful background if your family moves between Texas and a Common Core state.

Head Start ELOF

The federal preschool framework for ages birth through five. Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines align with ELOF, so this is the closest match for the years before TEKS kicks in.

How We Built This Guide

This page is a parent-facing summary of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the early grades. It is not the official text and is not a Texas Education Agency policy document. The goal is to help families understand what their Texas student is learning, in plain English.

Reviewed for clarity by the Whizki Learning editorial team - Sunny Hedge, Early Childhood Educator. Last updated: May 30, 2026.

What This Guide Is Based On

TEKS is a public document maintained by the Texas Education Agency. We cross-referenced this guide with:

  • Texas Education Agency (tea.texas.gov) — current TEKS text by subject and grade.
  • Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines — the preschool framework that precedes TEKS.
  • STAAR Resources (texasassessment.gov) for how TEKS is measured.
  • Texas Gateway (texasgateway.org) — practical TEKS-aligned curricular resources.

If you want the full text of a specific TEKS, search the standard code on tea.texas.gov.

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