Working Together to Support Georgia’s Kindergarten Students

The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) is one way to document and communicate your child’s progress on the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) during his or her kindergarten year. GKIDS 2.0 is one measure of a student’s readiness for first grade.

Approaches To Learning

This area of learning includes big ideas about students' behaviors as they acquire new knowledge and skills and engage in learning activities in the classroom. Asking questions, seeking help, paying attention, and working independently are behaviors and skills included in these big ideas. Please contact your child's teacher for activities that will help you support your child at home.

Big Idea

The student demonstrates behaviors used to acquire new knowledge and skills and engage in the learning process.

Progression: Curiosity and Initiative

Beginning	Developing	Demonstrating
Asks Questions The student rarely asks questions to understand tasks or activities. Self-selects activities and topics The student rarely initiates engagement in an activity without the explicit guidance of an adult or more capable peer and does not display variability in activities in which he engages. Seeks help when needed When she struggles, the student does not seek help from an adult or a more capable peer.	Asks Questions The student sometimes asks questions that support his need to complete a task. The questions are not always purposeful, but there is increasing evidence that he is gaining skills in asking questions to help facilitate his work. Self-selects activities and topics The student can self-select some activities and tends to focus mostly on repeating the same activities over time. She may exhibit some discomfort when presented with options for activities to select. Seeks help when needed The student is working toward positively seeking help, but occasionally loses focus and fails to communicate with those who can support him.	Asks Questions The student frequently asks questions that further her progress in completing an activity. She may help other children understand the task through her own questioning. Self-selects activities and topics The student self-selects activities with little adult support. He demonstrates variability in activities and topics in which to engage. Seeks help when needed The student self-selects activities with little adult support and demonstrates variability in activities and topics chosen for engagement.

Progression: Creativity and Problem Solving

Beginning	Developing	Demonstrating
Shows Creativity by Appropriately Using Materials in Unique Ways The student rarely uses materials to create a replica of a teacher-made or peer-made project or creates the same project again and again. Displays imagination in storytelling, writing, drawing, play, songs, etc. The student frequently copies that which others do or a teacher-made model. He may demonstrate some frustration when asked to tell a story, write, draw, or sing. In dramatic play, he may only want to play the same activity and resists engaging in the activities with peers. Uses a variety of problem-solving strategies The student frequently responds to solving a problem in a way that has only been suggested by an adult. She may demonstrate frustration and fail to complete an activity because she cannot think of a way to solve the problem. The student may react negatively when a peer or an adult suggests a way to solve a problem.	Shows Creativity by Appropriately Using Materials in Unique Ways The student varies between copying a teacher-made product and creating his own product. More often, he chooses to copy rather than create an original product. He often uses materials in appropriate, yet nontypical ways. Displays imagination in storytelling, writing, drawing, play, songs, etc. The student makes a consistent effort at imaginative activities but may struggle in fully completing the task. She may be too caught up in the detail and lack insight into the larger activity. Uses a variety of problem-solving strategies The student attempts a number of ways to solve a problem but occasionally relies on the teacher or a more capable peer to tell him how to solve the problem. The student may exhibit some frustration but will persist for a while at a problem before giving up.	Shows Creativity by Appropriately Using Materials in Unique Ways The student can model a teacher-created project and create a product that demonstrates creativity. She shows care and concern for the proper use of personal and classroom materials. Displays imagination in storytelling, writing, drawing, play, songs, etc. The student includes imaginative elements in work. He positively responds to successive attempts to exhibit creativity through trial and error. He may also offer suggestions for imaginative solutions to tasks. Uses a variety of problem-solving strategies The student attempts many ways to solve a problem and rarely demonstrates visible frustration. She can verbally describe the ways in which she solved the problem and may help support her peers in their problem-solving.

Progression: Attention, Engagement, and Persistence

Beginning	Developing	Demonstrating
Pays Attention The student frequently has difficulty attending to the teacher or other speakers during class discussions, may be easily distracted or may often need to be redirected. Demonstrates increasing task persistence The student can rarely persist at a task for an age-appropriate duration. She may demonstrate visible frustration often, giving up very early when attempting a task that she does not understand or perceives as too difficult. She may also refuse to engage in a task. Displays motivation/enthusiasm for learning The student demonstrates little to no motivation or enthusiasm for learning. He may refuse to participate or verbally make statements about his lack of interest in the topic or task. Works Independently The student cannot work without the direct supervision of adults. She may refuse to engage in an activity. If the student can work somewhat by herself, she does not use materials properly or is off task.	Pays Attention The student sometimes pays attention to the teacher or other speakers during classroom discussions. She may occasionally appear distracted or require redirection, but generally focuses on the teacher or other speakers. Demonstrates increasing task persistence The student can persist at a task for most activities requested of him. He may still need support of an adult or a more capable peer to persist at a task. Choice of persistence may be tied to specific activities. Displays motivation/enthusiasm for learning The student sometimes shows motivation or enthusiasm for learning. She may exhibit specific motivation or enthusiasm for a given content area and less for others. She will complete tasks but not enthusiastically across all assigned tasks. Works Independently The student requires some monitoring from an adult during independent work.	Pays Attention The student consistently pays attention to the teacher or other speakers during class discussions. He pays specific attention to what is asked of him and may help others refocus their attention and complete a task. Demonstrates increasing task persistence The student demonstrates engagement in tasks regardless of task content or complexity. Displays motivation/enthusiasm for learning The student demonstrates motivation and enthusiasm for learning. He may encourage peers to engage in activities. He may seek out additional experiences to continue learning. Works Independently The student can work independently and self-monitor to stay on task. She may help redirect others who interrupt her. She demonstrates this independence across tasks in the classroom.