Pacing Guide for Kindergarten English Language Arts

Our Kindergarten English Language Arts curriculum is made up of a combination of Literature units and Science and Social Studies units. Our Literature units center fiction texts that explore themes and topics that are relevant to students’ day-to-day lives, and cover the Kindergarten Reading Standards for Literature. Our Science and Social Studies units build knowledge about a specific topic through content-rich nonfiction texts, and cover the Kindergarten Reading Standards for Informational Text.

In each 60 minute lesson, students read and write about unit texts, building their vocabulary, language, and writing skills, as well as their speaking and listening skills. We also suggest students be given dedicated time and well-designed structures for independent reading during the school day.

Please note: Our Kindergarten curriculum focuses on language comprehension, and does not include instruction in phonemic awareness, decoding, or sight words. You will need to implement a structured foundational skills program alongside Fishtank ELA to support students’ development as skilled readers.

Our Kindergarten units span 156 days. We intentionally did not account for all 180 school days to allow teachers to fit in additional review or extension, teacher-created assessments, and school-based events. Each unit includes a specific number of lessons, including writing and discussion lessons, and a day for assessment. 

For more guidance on implementing the Kindergarten course, see our Preparing to Teach Fishtank ELA Teacher Tool.