PencilGoWhat to teach in each grade, K–12
The skills most schools cover in each grade, in plain words. Use it to plan the year or check for gaps. For kindergarten to 5th grade, each subject links to free PencilGo worksheets for that grade.
Pick a grade
This follows the usual order in US state standards. Your state may order things differently, and your child may be ahead in one subject and behind in another. That is normal. Teach where your child is.
Kindergarten
Math
- Count to 100 by ones and tens
- Count objects up to 20
- Add and subtract within 10
- Compare numbers
- Name flat and solid shapes
- Compare length and weight
Reading
- Letter names and sounds
- Rhymes and syllables
- Read simple words and common sight words
- Retell a story
- Ask and answer questions about a book
Writing
- Write letters and their own name
- Spell simple words by their sounds
- Draw and write to tell a story or an opinion
- A capital at the start, a period at the end
Science
- Weather and seasons
- What plants and animals need
- Pushes and pulls
- How people change the land
Social studies
- Family and community
- Rules and community helpers
- Simple maps of home and school
- Needs and wants
1st grade
Math
- Add and subtract within 20
- Tens and ones
- Count to 120
- Tell time to the hour and half hour
- Measure length
- Halves and fourths of shapes
Reading
- Short and long vowels, blends and digraphs
- Read aloud smoothly
- Characters, setting and main events
- Main topic and key details in nonfiction
Writing
- Complete sentences
- Short opinion, information and story pieces
- Capitals, end marks, nouns and verbs
Science
- Light and sound
- Patterns of the sun, moon and stars
- Plant and animal parts
- How young plants and animals are like their parents
Social studies
- Past and present
- Maps and directions
- Goods and services
- American symbols
2nd grade
Math
- Add and subtract within 100
- Place value to 1,000
- Money and time to 5 minutes
- Measure in inches and centimeters
- Bar graphs and picture graphs
- Equal groups and arrays
Reading
- Two-syllable words, prefixes and suffixes
- Read with expression
- Compare two versions of a story
- Headings, glossaries and other text features
Writing
- A paragraph with a topic sentence
- Personal stories and letters
- Plurals, past tense and apostrophes
Science
- Solids, liquids and gases
- Landforms and bodies of water
- Habitats
- How wind and water change the land
Social studies
- Communities near and far
- Local government
- Producers and consumers
- Map keys and landforms
3rd grade
Math
- Multiplication and division facts
- Fractions on a number line
- Area and perimeter
- Time to the minute
- Rounding
- Add and subtract within 1,000
Reading
- Longer words with many syllables
- Main idea and details
- Point of view
- The lesson of a fable
- First chapter books
Writing
- Opinion pieces with reasons
- Short reports with facts
- Stories with dialogue
- Commas and quotation marks
Science
- Life cycles
- Traits passed from parents
- Weather and climate
- Forces and magnets
Social studies
- Local and state history
- Local government
- Spending and saving choices
- Maps and globes
4th grade
Math
- Multi-digit multiplication
- Long division
- Equivalent fractions; adding like fractions
- Decimals to hundredths
- Angles and lines
- Factors and multiples
Reading
- Summarize
- Theme
- First and third person
- Compare two texts on one topic
- Myths and poems
Writing
- Essays of several paragraphs
- Research from more than one source
- Stories with detail
- Relative pronouns and verb tenses
Science
- Energy and waves
- Rocks, fossils and erosion
- How plant and animal parts work
- Natural resources
Social studies
- State history and geography
- Regions of the United States
- Native peoples
- State government
5th grade
Math
- Add and subtract unlike fractions
- Multiply and divide fractions
- Decimals to thousandths
- Volume
- The coordinate plane
- Order of operations
Reading
- Quote from the text
- Compare characters
- How chapters fit together
- Two accounts of one event
Writing
- Essays with a clear structure
- Research projects
- Stories with good pacing
- Verb tenses, conjunctions and commas
Science
- Properties of matter
- Food webs and ecosystems
- Earth's systems
- The solar system and stars
Social studies
- Early US history: exploration, colonies, the Revolution, the Constitution
- US geography
6th grade
Math
- Ratios and rates
- Percents
- Dividing fractions
- Negative numbers
- Expressions and one-step equations
- Area, surface area and volume
- Mean, median and range
Reading
- Cite evidence from the text
- Central idea
- How word choice sets the tone
- Novels, myths and nonfiction
Writing
- Arguments with a claim and evidence
- Research with sources listed
- Narratives
Science
- Often a mix of earth, life and physical science: weather, plate tectonics, cells, energy
Social studies
- Ancient civilizations or world geography
7th grade
Math
- Proportional relationships
- Operations with negative numbers
- Two-step equations and inequalities
- Scale drawings
- Circles
- Probability
Reading
- How story elements work together
- Compare a book with its film or audio version
- Analyze an author's argument
Writing
- Arguments that answer the other side
- Research reports
- Narratives
Science
- Often life science: cells, genetics, ecosystems, body systems
Social studies
- The medieval and early modern world, or state history
8th grade
Math
- Linear equations and functions
- Systems of equations
- Exponents and scientific notation
- The Pythagorean theorem
- Transformations
- Some students take Algebra 1
Reading
- Judge an argument and its evidence
- How a modern work draws on older stories
- Longer and harder texts
Writing
- Formal essays
- Research with sources cited
- Narratives
Science
- Often physical science: motion, forces, energy, early chemistry
Social studies
- US history to the Civil War and Reconstruction
- Civics
9th grade
Math
- Algebra 1: linear, exponential and quadratic functions, systems, statistics
Reading
- English 9: short stories, a novel, poetry and a Shakespeare play
Writing
- Literary analysis
- Argument essays
Science
- Biology, or physical or earth science
Social studies
- World history or geography; civics in some states
High school is usually counted in credits: about one credit for a full-year course. Colleges list the courses they expect, so check the ones your teen may apply to. Keep a record as you go with the transcript builder.
10th grade
Math
- Geometry: proofs, similar figures, right-triangle trigonometry, circles, volume
Reading
- English 10: world literature
Writing
- A research paper
- Argument and analysis
Science
- Chemistry or biology
Social studies
- World history
11th grade
Math
- Algebra 2: polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions, sequences, trig functions
Reading
- American literature
- Reading arguments closely
Writing
- Rhetorical analysis
- College application essays
Science
- Chemistry or physics
Social studies
- US history
12th grade
Math
- Precalculus, statistics, calculus, or personal finance
Reading
- British or world literature
Writing
- A senior research paper or project
Science
- Physics, anatomy, environmental science, or an AP or dual-enrollment course
Social studies
- Government and economics
Turn it into a plan
Pick a few skills for the week and write them into the weekly lesson planner. Some states name the subjects you must teach: see homeschool law by state.
Let PencilGo pick the next sheet
For kindergarten to 5th grade: print a sheet, your child works in pencil, and you scan it. PencilGo marks it and picks the next sheet at the right level. Free, about five minutes a day.
Create a free accountA general overview, not your state’s standards or legal requirements. Check what your state asks for.