Language & Communication

D04 P3: Intellectual & Cognitive Awareness

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing — and communicating across languages and cultures in a many-voiced world.

Language is how humans share inner worlds and build shared ones. We teach it as a living practice of listening and being heard, in the learner's home language and beyond. Multilingualism is treated as a wealth, not a deficit; every language and every way of speaking is honored.

K–12 objective ladder

D04.S1 Listening & Speaking

Listening with attention, speaking to be understood, and holding conversation with others.

55 lessons

K D04.S1.K.01 Listen to a story or speaker and retell one important part in their own words.
1 D04.S1.01.01 Listen to a speaker or story and ask or answer a simple question about it.
1 D04.S1.01.02 Speak in complete sentences to share an idea or experience so others can understand.
2 D04.S1.02.01 Listen to a partner and retell what they said in the correct order.
2 D04.S1.02.02 Take turns in a conversation, staying on topic and speaking clearly.
3 D04.S1.03.01 Retell a spoken story or explanation in sequence, including key details.
3 D04.S1.03.02 Ask and answer questions to understand a speaker's meaning, and explain one idea to a small group.
4 D04.S1.04.01 Summarize the main idea and key details of an oral presentation or read-aloud.
4 D04.S1.04.02 Present a short talk to a group, speaking clearly with appropriate volume and pace.
5 D04.S1.05.01 Paraphrase a speaker's points accurately and ask clarifying questions when unsure.
5 D04.S1.05.02 Give a short presentation with a clear main idea, supporting reasons, and a conclusion.
6 D04.S1.06.01 Listen for and distinguish a speaker's main argument from supporting details and examples.
6 D04.S1.06.02 Participate in a group discussion, building on others' ideas and disagreeing respectfully.
7 D04.S1.07.01 Evaluate a speaker's reasoning, identifying unsupported claims and asking probing questions.
7 D04.S1.07.02 Deliver a presentation adapted to an audience and purpose, using evidence to support points.
8 D04.S1.08.01 Analyze how a speaker's word choice, tone, and delivery shape meaning and persuade an audience.
8 D04.S1.08.02 Engage in a structured debate or deliberation, arguing a position with reasons while listening to opposing views.
9 D04.S1.09.01 Synthesize information from multiple spoken sources and present a coherent account or argument.
9 D04.S1.09.02 Lead or facilitate a discussion, inviting participation and managing disagreement with fairness.
10 D04.S1.10.01 Critique rhetoric in public speech and media, distinguishing emotional appeal from reasoned argument.
10 D04.S1.10.02 Speak to a public or unfamiliar audience with confidence, adapting register and formality to the setting.
11 D04.S1.11.01 Listen across differences, including accents, dialects, and viewpoints, and identify assumptions in what is said.
11 D04.S1.11.02 Construct and deliver a persuasive speech that anticipates and fairly addresses counterarguments.
12 D04.S1.12.01 Engage in complex, sustained deliberation on contested issues, hearing many voices and reaching reasoned positions.
12 D04.S1.12.02 Speak with clarity, care, and integrity in public and professional settings, adapting to diverse audiences and purposes.

D04.S2 Reading & Literacy

Decoding and making meaning from written language in the learner's own writing system and others.

66 lessons

K D04.S2.K.01 Recognize and name the letters or characters of their home writing system and match some to their sounds.
1 D04.S2.01.01 Decode simple words by sounding out letters and letter groups in their home writing system.
1 D04.S2.01.02 Read a simple text aloud and retell its beginning, middle, and end.
2 D04.S2.02.01 Read common sight words and regularly spelled words accurately and with growing fluency.
2 D04.S2.02.02 Answer who, what, where, when, and why questions about a text read independently or with support.
3 D04.S2.03.01 Read grade-level texts with accuracy and fluency, self-correcting when meaning breaks down.
3 D04.S2.03.02 Identify the main idea and supporting details of a short informational or narrative text.
4 D04.S2.04.01 Use context clues and word parts, such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes, to figure out unfamiliar words.
4 D04.S2.04.02 Compare and contrast themes, characters, or ideas within and across two texts.
5 D04.S2.05.01 Explain how an author uses structure, such as cause and effect or problem and solution, to organize ideas.
5 D04.S2.05.02 Distinguish fact from opinion and identify the author's purpose and point of view.
6 D04.S2.06.01 Cite text evidence to support an interpretation of what a text says and means.
6 D04.S2.06.02 Read and understand a variety of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama, in at least one language.
7 D04.S2.07.01 Analyze how an author develops characters, setting, and plot or central ideas across a text.
7 D04.S2.07.02 Evaluate the credibility of a source by checking its author, purpose, and evidence.
8 D04.S2.08.01 Analyze how point of view, tone, and figurative language shape a reader's understanding of a text.
8 D04.S2.08.02 Read texts from multiple cultures and time periods, comparing how each reflects its context.
9 D04.S2.09.01 Analyze how a text's structure, style, and argument work together to create meaning and effect.
9 D04.S2.09.02 Synthesize ideas and evidence from multiple texts on the same topic to form a supported position.
10 D04.S2.10.01 Critically evaluate digital and print media for bias, omission, and the difference between evidence and belief.
10 D04.S2.10.02 Read extended, complex literary and informational texts, tracking themes and arguments across a full work.
11 D04.S2.11.01 Compare texts across languages and translations, noting how translation shapes meaning.
11 D04.S2.11.02 Analyze how an author's cultural and historical position shapes a text, and read it against other perspectives.
12 D04.S2.12.01 Read, evaluate, and integrate scholarly, technical, and literary texts across registers and disciplines.
12 D04.S2.12.02 Reason across multiple writing systems and languages, recognizing how each encodes meaning differently.

D04.S3 Writing & Expression

Expressing ideas, stories, and feelings through written marks, from drawing and scribbling to composed text.

57 lessons

K D04.S3.K.01 Draw, dictate, or write marks to express an idea and tell what they mean.
1 D04.S3.01.01 Write letters and simple words to express an idea, and read back what they wrote.
1 D04.S3.01.02 Compose one or more complete sentences about a topic or picture, using a capital letter and an end mark.
2 D04.S3.02.01 Write a short narrative of several sentences in order, using words such as first, next, and last.
2 D04.S3.02.02 Write a simple informative or opinion piece that states a topic or opinion and gives a reason.
3 D04.S3.03.01 Write a paragraph with a topic sentence, at least two supporting details, and a closing sentence.
3 D04.S3.03.02 Revise and edit their own writing for spelling, punctuation, and clarity, with support.
4 D04.S3.04.01 Write a narrative, informative, or opinion piece organized into paragraphs with clear ideas.
4 D04.S3.04.02 Use a simple writing process — plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish — on their own.
5 D04.S3.05.01 Write for different purposes and audiences, choosing an appropriate style and structure.
5 D04.S3.05.02 Gather information from several sources, note key facts, and write a short report in their own words.
6 D04.S3.06.01 Write a well-developed argument with a claim, reasons, evidence, and a response to a counterargument.
6 D04.S3.06.02 Use technology to draft, revise, and publish writing, including basic formatting of digital text.
7 D04.S3.07.01 Develop ideas with relevant, well-chosen details and precise language across a range of genres.
7 D04.S3.07.02 Give and use peer feedback to improve a piece of writing, and explain the choices made.
8 D04.S3.08.01 Write in multiple forms, including narrative, argument, and informational text, with coherent organization and voice.
8 D04.S3.08.02 Cite sources accurately in writing and distinguish their own words and ideas from those of others.
9 D04.S3.09.01 Write a research-supported argument that integrates and cites sources and evaluates conflicting evidence.
9 D04.S3.09.02 Compose for real audiences and purposes, such as letters, proposals, or published digital pieces.
10 D04.S3.10.01 Craft prose with deliberate style, varying sentence structure, word choice, and tone to suit purpose and audience.
10 D04.S3.10.02 Compose multimodal texts that combine writing, image, sound, and design, with attention to accessibility.
11 D04.S3.11.01 Write extended, original work — analytical, narrative, or creative — that develops a sustained idea or story.
11 D04.S3.11.02 Adapt writing across languages and registers, including translation or writing in a second language where possible.
12 D04.S3.12.01 Produce a sustained, polished piece of writing that demonstrates command of structure, style, and evidence for a chosen audience.
12 D04.S3.12.02 Write with clarity and care across disciplines and registers, using language ethically and precisely in a multilingual world.

D04.S4 Multilingual & Intercultural Communication

Valuing many languages, bridging between them, and communicating with respect across cultures.

37 lessons

K D04.S4.K.01 Share a greeting or word from their home language and try one from another language.
1 D04.S4.01.01 Name their home language or languages and share a few words in each with pride.
1 D04.S4.01.02 Learn and use a greeting and a courtesy word, such as please or thank you, in another language.
2 D04.S4.02.01 Tell one thing about their home language and culture, such as a song, a counting rhyme, or a family word.
2 D04.S4.02.02 Recognize that people speak many different languages and that no language is better than another.
3 D04.S4.03.01 Learn and use simple everyday phrases in another language, such as greetings, numbers, and colors.
3 D04.S4.03.02 Notice that the same idea can be said in many languages, and compare a few examples.
4 D04.S4.04.01 Explain that languages belong to families and that many languages share roots, giving an example.
4 D04.S4.04.02 Show respect for a peer's language by learning and correctly pronouncing their name and a few words.
5 D04.S4.05.01 Recognize that many writing systems exist, such as alphabets and character scripts, and identify a few.
5 D04.S4.05.02 Describe how language is tied to culture, such as words for family, food, or respect that differ across languages.
6 D04.S4.06.01 Compare how the same idea is expressed in two or more languages, noting what is gained or lost.
6 D04.S4.06.02 Communicate across a language difference using strategies such as gestures, drawings, translation tools, and patience.
7 D04.S4.07.01 Explain what translation and interpretation are and describe when each is needed in everyday life.
7 D04.S4.07.02 Recognize dialect and accent as natural variation, and challenge the idea that one way of speaking is correct.
8 D04.S4.08.01 Analyze how language can include or exclude people, such as jargon or the use of one language over another.
8 D04.S4.08.02 Use digital translation tools critically, knowing their limits and when human translation is needed.
9 D04.S4.09.01 Explain how a person's languages are part of their identity, and reflect on their own multilingual or monolingual experience.
9 D04.S4.09.02 Describe language loss and revitalization, and why protecting languages matters for humanity and the environment.
10 D04.S4.10.01 Analyze how language and power interact, such as whose language is used in law, medicine, and school.
10 D04.S4.10.02 Communicate respectfully in a multicultural setting, adapting to different cultural norms of politeness and address.
11 D04.S4.11.01 Evaluate language policies, such as official languages or language in schools, for their effects on equity and inclusion.
11 D04.S4.11.02 Bridge between speakers of different languages in a real setting, interpreting main ideas with accuracy and care.
12 D04.S4.12.01 Advocate for language justice, making communication accessible to people of all languages in public life.
12 D04.S4.12.02 Move confidently and respectfully across languages and cultures, hearing many voices and speaking with clarity and care in a multilingual world.

Language & Communication

This domain file is part of the standards tree. It declares the strands and grade-level objectives for Language & Communication. The full vertical ladder for grades K–12 is declared here, so every lesson can trace to a standard (see docs/roadmap.md).

Strands

D04.S1 — Listening & Speaking

Listening with attention and speaking to be understood.

D04.S2 — Reading & Literacy

Decoding and making meaning from written language.

D04.S3 — Writing & Expression

Expressing ideas, stories, and feelings through written marks.

D04.S4 — Multilingual & Intercultural Communication

Valuing many languages and communicating with respect across cultures.

Progression (spiral)

Each strand spirals from Kindergarten to Grade 12 with no leaps. Listening & Speaking moves from listening, retelling, and asking questions (K–3) through summarizing, presenting, and participating in discussion (4–7) to analyzing rhetoric, debating, and deliberating across many voices (8–12). Reading & Literacy grows from recognizing letters and decoding (K–2) through fluency, comprehension, text structure, and source credibility (3–8) to critical literacy, translation, and reasoning across writing systems and languages (9–12). Writing & Expression rises from drawing, scribbling, and simple sentences (K–2) through paragraphs, the writing process, research, and argument (3–8) to mature, multimodal, and multilingual composition for real audiences (9–12). Multilingual & Intercultural Communication begins with pride in the home language and simple greetings (K–2), moves through language families, writing systems, translation, and language justice (3–9), and ends in bridging and advocating across languages and cultures (10–12). Throughout, home language is honored first, multilingualism is treated as a wealth, and objectives are written through the lenses of ethics, egalitarianism, a global and anthropological perspective, and the effect of technology on humanity and the environment.