Kindergarten Curriculum Map & Scope and Sequence — Free PDF Download
- By Deedee Wills
- Updated on June 27
- 50 Comments
Table of Contents
Your Free Kindergarten Curriculum Map (Science of Reading Aligned, K-2)
Planning your kindergarten year does not have to start from scratch. This free curriculum map gives you a complete K-2 scope and sequence for reading, writing, math, and phonics, all grounded in Science of Reading research and built by a classroom teacher with over a decade of kindergarten experience.
I’ve taught kindergarten through second grade, so I know how an organized curriculum map can help guide my lesson planning. It helps me walk into August knowing what’s coming.
Download the free PDF below, then explore the subject-by-subject breakdowns to see exactly what your students should be learning, and when.
What is a Curriculum Map?
A kindergarten curriculum map is a year-long planning tool that shows what skills your students will learn, in what order, and roughly when. It covers all subject areas, including reading, writing, math, and phonics, and gives you a big-picture view of the entire school year before you ever open a lesson plan.
A good curriculum map is not a rigid script. It is a flexible framework that helps you plan with intention so your instruction builds systematically from the simplest skills to the most complex. That progression matters a lot, especially in a Science of Reading-aligned classroom where the order in which you teach skills directly affects how well your students learn to read and write.
Curriculum Map vs. Pacing Guide vs. Scope and Sequence
Here is what separates a curriculum map from a lesson plan or a pacing guide. A lesson plan zooms all the way in to a single day of instruction. A pacing guide tells you roughly how many weeks to spend on each topic. A curriculum map sits above both of those. It is an overview for your year.
For kindergarten teachers specifically, having a curriculum map means you go into the school year knowing that phonemic awareness comes before phonics, that shared reading supports your phonics instruction, and that your writing units connect to the texts your students are reading. Everything is intentional. Nothing is left to chance.
Planning Tool | What It Is | What It Answers |
|---|---|---|
Curriculum Map | A year-long overview of all subjects, units, and major skills across your whole classroom | What are my students learning this year, and when? |
Scope and Sequence | A master list of every skill to be taught, ordered from simplest to most complex | What do I teach, and in what order? |
Pacing Guide | A timeline that shows approximately how long to spend on each skill or unit | How many weeks do I spend on this? |
Unit Plan | A deep dive into one single unit with lessons, materials, and assessments | How do I teach this specific topic? |
Lesson Plan | A day-by-day guide for one lesson within a unit | What am I doing in class today? |
What Should a Kindergarten Curriculum Map Include?
A kindergarten curriculum map should include a phonics and phonemic awareness scope and sequence, a reading progression, a writing progression, a math scope and sequence, and suggested mentor texts. It should show which skills are taught, in what order, and when across the full school year.
Reading and Phonics Scope and Sequence
Your phonics scope and sequence is the backbone of your entire reading curriculum. In a Science of Reading-aligned classroom, skills are taught in a specific order because that order matters. You start with phonemic awareness and letter-sound correspondence, then build systematically through CVC words, digraphs, blends, and beyond.
Writing Scope and Sequence
Writing instruction in kindergarten builds just like reading does, from the ground up. Your writing scope and sequence starts with drawing pictures. As the year progresses, students begin to build transcription skills. Lesson plans are designed to build upon each other.
At the end of the year, students are writing paragraphs that include multiple sentences.
Math Scope and Sequence
Your math scope and sequence gives you a clear picture of every concept your kindergarteners need to master before they leave your classroom. It starts with number sense and counting, moves through addition and subtraction, and builds into measurement, geometry, and data. Just like with reading and phonics, the order matters. Each skill lays the foundation for the next one, so your students are always building on solid ground.
Is This Curriculum Map Science of Reading Aligned?
Yes, as an LETRS and Orton-Gillingham trained teacher, it is important to be certain your curriculum map aligns with the way students’ brains learn to read.
How Science of Reading Research Shaped This Plan
This curriculum map was not built by guessing. The skill progressions, the phonics sequence, and the way reading and writing connect all reflect what decades of research tell us about how children learn to read. Science of Reading research is clear that explicit, systematic instruction works. This plan puts that research into a format you can actually use in your classroom, starting on day one.
How Do I Use This Free Curriculum Map?
A curriculum map will be the document you return to throughout the year.
Beginning-of-Year Setup
Pull out your curriculum map before school starts and read through the full year one time. You are not memorizing it. You are getting the big picture so nothing sneaks up on you. Then look at your first six weeks and identify the phonics skills, reading goals, and writing focus you are starting with. Print those pages, put them where you can see them, and let the map do the heavy lifting while you focus on your students.
Month-by-Month Planning Tips
At the start of each month, open your curriculum map and check in. Look at where you are, where you are going, and whether your pacing still makes sense for your students. Some skills will need more time. That is okay. The map is a guide, not a rulebook. Use it to make intentional decisions about what to speed up, what to slow down, and what your students need most right now. A good curriculum map flexes with you.
Does This Map Work for First and Second Grade Too?
Yes, and that is one of the things that makes this curriculum map different. Most free planning tools stop at kindergarten. This one gives you a full K-2 scope and sequence so you can see where your students are coming from and where they are headed. First and second grade teachers have used this map to align their instruction with what students already learned in kindergarten, which means less reteaching and more time for the good stuff.
K-2 Scope and Sequence Crosswalk
The crosswalk shows you how skills build across kindergarten, first grade, and second grade side by side. You can see exactly where phonics instruction starts in kindergarten and how it grows through first and second grade. The same is true for reading, writing, and math. When you can see the full progression in one place, your planning gets sharper, your instruction gets tighter, and your students move through the grades without big gaps in their foundational skills.
What Free Resources Are Included?
Along with the full K-2 curriculum map, the free PDF includes a phonics scope and sequence, a Beginning-of-Year Writing Goals chart, a Math Tool Kit Binder cover, mentor text suggestions for readers and writers workshop, and curriculum crosswalks so you can see how this plan aligns with what you are already using. Everything is designed to work together so you are not piecing together five different planning tools from five different places. It is all right here, ready to go.
What’s Inside the Guide
This isn’t your average curriculum doc. Here’s what you’ll find in this comprehensive resource:
Kindergarten: A detailed phonics scope and sequence, plus pacing guides for phonemic awareness, reading, writing, and math.
First Grade: An expanded breakdown covering phonics, phonemic awareness, reading, writing, and math—all mapped out clearly for the full year.
Second Grade: A strong focus on reading and writing, supporting the foundational literacy skills that carry students forward.
Bonus: Easy Navigation
Worried about getting lost in all that content? Don’t be. This guide includes a clickable interactive Table of Contents. Access it from your computer, and you’ll be able to jump straight to the section you need—no endless scrolling required.
It’s a big resource, but it’s built to work with you, not overwhelm you.
Bonus Features You’ll Find Inside the Curriculum Map
Backed by Research
One question we hear often: “What research supports this curriculum?”
I love that question!
Inside the curriculum map, you’ll find a curated list of research studies and professional readings that directly informed the development of each component. These aren’t just citations, they’re trusted sources you can dig into to strengthen your instructional decisions, deepen your content knowledge, and stay grounded in best practices.
If you’re the type of educator who likes to know the “why” behind the “what,” this research section will be for you. Consider it your professional learning companion.
Curriculum Crosswalks for Seamless Alignment
If you’re already using a commercial curriculum, you might be wondering how this map fits in.
Thanks to contributions from classroom teachers, the curriculum map includes detailed curriculum crosswalks. These side-by-side comparisons highlight how our materials align with commonly used programs—making it easier for you to integrate, adapt, or supplement without starting from scratch.
Whether you’re blending resources or transitioning from one curriculum to another, these crosswalks help eliminate the guesswork and give you a clear, confident path forward.
Mentor Texts for Reading and Writing Instruction.
The right book at the right time makes reading and writing instruction can really enhance your lessons.
Thoughtfully chosen literature gives students a model to reach toward. This curriculum map takes some of the effort out of finding those texts for every unit across the year.
Interactive Read Aloud: Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Sometimes the best way to understand a planning tool is to see it in action. That is why this curriculum map includes a full 5-day sample lesson built around one of the most beloved picture books in kindergarten classrooms, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes.
This literacy sample is part of the Engaging Readers curriculum and shows you what joyful, standards-aligned reading instruction actually looks like from Monday through Friday. You will get everything you need to teach with confidence, including daily comprehension lessons, student response sheets, rubrics, anchor charts, and instructional guidance that scaffolds learning every step of the way.
It is a real week of teaching, ready to go, so you can see exactly how the curriculum map translates into daily instruction without the overwhelm.
You can find the year long interactive read aloud lessons by clicking:
The free download also includes a Beginning-of-Year Writing Goals Chart built specifically for young writers who are just getting started. It focuses on foundational goals like choosing their own writing ideas, staying on topic, and telling their stories through pictures, labels, and simple words. It is visual, encouraging, and gives your students a way to see their own growth right from the start.
You can find more about our writing curriculum by clicking:
You’ll also get a Math Tool Kit Binder Cover—perfect for organizing those essential hands-on tools like number lines, ten frames, and math manipulatives. Whether you’re building math independence or just want your materials looking extra polished, this free cover helps your toolkit stay neat and classroom-ready.
Math Tool Kits will save you hours of time each year! They are worth the effort!
Bonus: Ready-to-Use Curriculum Maps for Grades K–2
To make your planning process even smoother, this resource includes three fully developed curriculum map templates—one for each grade level. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to refine your current pacing, these sample maps offer structure, clarity, and flexibility.
Kindergarten Curriculum Map
Crafted from years of firsthand classroom experience, this map is practical, adaptable, and aligned with best practices. It’s designed to work seamlessly with Common Core or other local standards while allowing space for personalization.
First-Grade Curriculum Map
Structured like the kindergarten version, this pacing guide is tailored to first-grade instructional goals. It’s user-friendly and helps you stay focused on foundational skills and age-appropriate content throughout the year.
Second-Grade Curriculum Map
With an emphasis on continued literacy development, this map supports both readers’ and writers’ workshop. It includes intentional scaffolding to help students move from emerging to more confident readers and writers.
Get Your Free Curriculum Map PDF
You have been planning for your students all year long. Let this curriculum map do some of that work for you. Click below to grab your free K-2 curriculum map PDF and get a full scope and sequence for reading, writing, math, and phonics, plus all the bonus resources included. Print it, save it, and come back to it all year.
Deedee Wills
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50 Responses
You are absolutely amazing! Thank you for your generosity and kindness! Now, take some time for yourself! 🙂
I headed over to TpT to see how much this was and was so happy to see the word FREE! Thank you so much! Can't wait to print it and start planning. Well, I can, but I'm still excited! Ha!
Lisa
Always an Adventure in Kindergarten
Thank you for all the hard work this represents. I hope you at least got to do some of it pool side 🙂 Enjoy your last two conferences and the fleeting moments of summer!
Wow…and that is all I can say…wow!
OMG!!! THANK YOU!! THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW!!! What a huge help!! 🙂
This is amazing- thank you for sharing all of your hard work.
✿Tiffani Time 4 Kindergarten
Thanks for sharing, Deedee.
This is terrific, Deedee!
Jennifer
First Grade Blue SKies
Wow!!! You are so amazing! Thank you!
Cheryl
Crayons and Curls
Thank you for sharing from Texas ….go TEKS… 😉
Ha!!!
This is exactly what I have been "meaning to get to" all summer! I have a K/1 class this year and I was having difficulty creating a format that worked for what I needed to cover in each grade. Thank you for this amazing resource. It is brilliant and I am looking forward to using this in my planning! VERY HELPFUL!
Deedee, First of all, I cannot even imagine all that you do or when you even do it! And secondly… I just want to ((HUG)) you for sharing this hard work and wonderful resource. Please know how greatly it is appreciated! Thank you! Thank you! (Do you think I like it?!)
Carolyn
Kindergarten: Holding Hands and Sticking Together
What a fantastic resource. Thank you so much!
You all are so welcome! I needed to make this for me and I am glad you are going to be able to rest easy knowing it is available for you! Thank you for your comments! I do appreciate them!
You are so organized! What lucky students you have! 🙂
Colleen Patton
Mrs. Patton’s Patch
These are great! My grade level is getting together next week to do long range plans and these will help so much! Of course we all do some things differently, but you put on paper what was only starting to form in my summer brain! Now if you could start on the math…. just kidding! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
Camp Kindergarten
Thank you for sharing all of your hard work with us. I love being a part of a community where we can bounce ideas and share what works. This is very helpful in my planning that I am actually working on right now!
Katie
Glitter, Glue & Giggles: a kindergarten blog
I can't believe that was free–thank you so much, as always, for your kind spirit and generosity. I am truly grateful!
This is awesome!!! I am so thankful that I got to learn from you at I Teach K! this summer. You are such an inspiration! And to do this and share with others…well, you are amazing! I appreciate your hard work.
Omg! this is exactly what I have been putting off doing!!! Thanks so much for sharing this and for free!!! You are amazing! I already have all the Reader's Workshops and I am currently in the process of making all the posters!!! Thank you so much!!!
Angela Nouryeh
DeeDee you are amazing! I hope that you get time to enjoy the summer. People are so lucky to see you at conference. I'm glad I got the chance!!
Just the word Curriculum Map strikes terror into the hearts of many. We worked it to death in after school inservice meetings two years in a row (and then never looked at them again). Thinking of a curriculum map as an outline for the year and a guideline for the direction you are heading makes it much easier to understand and more likely to be used all year. Thank you for sharing yours! It is a great starting point for making my own.
Terri Izatt
KinderKapers
Wow! Thank you for sharing this! It is amazing!!!
Thank you so much for so generously sharing this!
Thank you so much for so generously sharing this!
Thank you!! This is something my team is going to be doing in the near future, and seeing someone else's laid out, makes the task seem doable. Thanks for the ideas and encouragement. I will definitely be using this! Do you plan to do one for math?
Wow! This is amazing and you are apologizing for what exactly? We started fundations last year and this will be so helpful. We used the letters as they were presented in our reading program and it made starting Fundations in January a little tricky. Thank you!
Wow! Thank you so much Dee Dee. You are such an inspiration to all of us. I appreciate so much your willingness to share with all of us. My kinders and I love love love your products. Bless you!
Thanks for sharing this. I'll be referring to this often in the future!
Priscilla
Thanks so much for sharing, SHARING!, all your hard work! I teach Gr. 1 in Canada and I absolutely agree, this outline can easily work for it too. Enjoy the remaining time you have off, we don't go back til beginning of Sept. One more month to go, wahoo! Judy
Thank you so much. You are so generous!! This will be so helpful. We are to begin using the Common Core ELA standards this year at my school. This will be a great guide for us. Thanks again!
Thank you so very much! This is very much appreciated!
I have put my email address in to get the free curriculum map, but I haven’t received any email. I did it about a week ago, and again today. Can you please email it to me? amixon5@gmail.com
SENT! 😉
I’m not sure what is happening to my free curriculum map. I even checked my spam folder. Can you please send me an email too? Thanks!
rtjlolson@gmail.com
I sent it to you 🙂
I’m having trouble to download my free curriculum map. Can you please send me an email too? Thanks!
Skye2072@yahoo.com
Sorry! I just saw this! I sent it your way!!! You should have it in your email inbox 🙂
Hi! Just wondering what literacy program you use at your school? Are you familiar with American Reading program and the IRLA assessment?
Hi there! The curriculum map shows our literacy program. We actually got to write it ourselves. YAY!
I have entered my email three times over the past two days but have not received any reply or files for your K-2 Curriculum Map. I tried twice with my school email (and even checked the spam folder) and then tried my personal email and I still haven’t received any replies. What am I doing wrong??
Can you email me?
deedee@mrswillskindergarten.
I would like to have a free copy of 2 Month Curriculum Map With Mentor Text Lists For K-2 (FREE) 2019, but everytime I enter “join” it doesn’t work. Could you please send to my via email? Appreciate it.
Thank you.
Are you still stuck? I can email you a copy. Just let me know.
deedee@mrswillskindergarten.com
WOW!! LOVE THIS!! I’m wondering if there is an editable version of this?! My county requires us to follow there scope and sequence, but it’s not as user friendly as this! I would love to be able to move around standards and such. If not, I’d love to know how you created this!
Christina, I have to tell you a VERY sad story. I accidentally saved over my original. I can NOT believe I did that. SO next time I have to update it, I have to start from scratch! GAH! Yes! I CRIED!!!
Hi Deedee, I was looking to download this and there is no box to put my email in. Is this still availible?
Hi Stacy, I fixed the link. Will you let me know if you are still having trouble?
deedee@mrswillskindergarten.com
Hi Stacy!
Yes! I am going to email you the file.