Kindergarten Milestones Check

Overview

In this 60-minute one-on-one/two-student conference, students rotate through short, playful checks for key kindergarten milestones in literacy and mathematics. The teacher records evidence on a universal milestones sheet, using the results to identify strengths and next teaching steps.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Recognize and form uppercase and lowercase letters and say their common sounds.
• Blend sounds to read simple CVC words such as cat, sit, and hop.
• Count aloud to 100 and represent numbers from 0 to 20 with written numerals.
• Show basic addition facts within 10 using objects, drawings, or equations.
• Describe shapes and their positions using accurate mathematical language.

Success criteria

• I can name letters, write letters, and say their sounds.
• I can stretch and blend sounds to read a short word.
• I can count to 100 and write numbers from 0 to 20.
• I can solve addition problems within 10 and explain my thinking.

Curriculum links

• Counting and Cardinality — counting to 100 by ones and tens.
• Counting and Cardinality — writing and representing numbers from 0 to 20, including zero.
• Geometry — describing shapes and their relative positions.
• Geometry — building and composing simple shapes.
• Kindergarten literacy milestones — letter knowledge, phonemic blending, and early word reading.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and explain. Open with the welcome and milestone-check slides and explain that the teacher is checking what students can already do, not giving a test; students choose a quiet work spot and practice a “try it, say it, show it” routine.

2. 5–17 min · Letter and sound check. Display the letter-picture prompts one at a time and ask each student to name selected uppercase and lowercase letters, give the common sound, and form several letters on the kindergarten milestones recording sheet. Students respond orally, write with a pencil or marker, and may correct an attempt after feedback. Record independently recognized, formed, and produced sounds; do not require every letter if time is short, but note which letters need follow-up.

3. 17–27 min · CVC blending check. Use the sound-by-sound blending slides to model continuous blending, such as /m/ /a/ /p/ → map. Students blend and read cat, sit, hop, and two additional regular CVC words, then identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds on the recording sheet. If a student is unsure, have the student point to each letter, say each sound, and try again while recording the level of support needed.

4. 27–39 min · Counting and numeral check. Open the counting and numeral slides and invite students to count aloud to 100 by ones, then count by tens as far as they can. Each student writes a selection of numerals from 0 to 20 on the worksheet and matches several numerals to small groups of counters, including zero. Pause after errors and ask, “What number comes next?” Students explain how they know and circle any number they want to practice.

5. 39–49 min · Addition within 10. Show the joining stories on the addition story slides. Students solve four addition situations within 10 using counters, drawings, fingers, or equations, such as 3 + 2 and 5 + 4. They record at least two equations on the worksheet and explain one strategy. The teacher notes whether the student counts all, counts on, recognizes a fact, or needs modeling.

6. 49–56 min · Shape build and position talk. Give students craft sticks and clay or connecting manipulatives. Use the shape-building and position slides to ask students to name familiar shapes, build one shape, and combine two simple shapes to make a larger shape. Students describe locations using words such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to. Record accurate shape names, construction attempts, and position vocabulary on the worksheet.

7. 56–60 min · Review and next step. Return to the review and reflection slide and ask each student to share one skill they can do and one skill they will practice. Finish with the traffic-light check-in cards; students select green, amber, or red to show how confident they feel, while the teacher completes the next-step notes.

Resources

• the kindergarten milestones check deck
• the kindergarten milestones recording sheet
• Uppercase and lowercase letter cards or magnetic letters
• Pencils, crayons, and dry-erase boards
• Craft sticks and clay or connecting manipulatives
• Counters, linking cubes, or small classroom objects
• Shape models or classroom shape examples
• the traffic-light check-in cards

Assessment

• Use the recording sheet throughout the lesson to mark independent performance, performance with a prompt, or not yet demonstrated.
• Listen for accurate letter sounds, continuous blending, one-to-one counting, numeral formation, and explanations of addition and shape thinking.
• Use the final traffic-light choice and student reflection to compare confidence with observed performance and select one immediate teaching goal.

Differentiation

• Support students with a reduced letter set, picture cues, movable letters, counters, tracing opportunities, and sentence frames such as “I see a ” and “ is next to ___.”
• For blending, allow students to use a finger to track each letter and provide continuous sounds before prompting the whole word.
• For students with fine-motor needs, offer larger writing tools, a vertical surface, or oral responses; accept drawing, pointing, or manipulatives as evidence of mathematical understanding.
• Extend students who finish quickly by asking them to write a new CVC word, count by tens and then ones, find multiple ways to make 10, or compose a larger shape from smaller shapes.