Transitional Kindergarten

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Transitional Kindergarten

• Program Development Considerations
• Jessica Mihaly
• SMCOE Transition Coordinator, School Readiness
• Nirmala Dillman
• SMCOE Coordinator Child Care Partnership Council
• Tracy Wilson
• SMCOE Reading Language Arts Coordinator

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What does the Law Say?

• California law (EC 48000) defines transitional
  kindergarten as the first year of a two-year
  kindergarten program that uses a modified
  kindergarten curriculum that is age and
  developmentally appropriate.
• While no state curriculum is mandated, local
  education agencies must modify the local course
  of study in order to provide age and
  developmentally appropriate curriculum for
  transitional kindergarten.

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What is required?
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Immediate Attention

• Likely enrollment
• Collect and capture birthdates of siblings at
  enrollment
• Plausible sites
• Criteria used if not at all sites
• Funding model
• Policy impact
• Round up, enrollment process and records
• Create a new grade
• Public communication
• Board, Community, Parents, Teachers
• Staff selection

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Near Future Work December- March

• Curriculum create a curriculum map or broad
  pacing guide, select resources, design classroom
  spaces
• Instruction define signature practices
• Assessments clarify assessment practices
• Professional Development
• anticipate the PD needs of a class of all young
  5s
• determine focus, delivery, support providers,
  on-going support
• SMCOE Spring Workshops

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Todays Objective
Clarify how transitional kindergarten
is different from preschool and different from
traditional kindergarten Review current
research Share resources Support the
development of a philosophy
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What does the research say?Executive Summary
Set for Success, Building a strong foundation for
school readiness based on the social development
of young children

• How children feel is as important as how they
  think when ensuring learning.
• Learning depends on stable, secure and enduring
  relationships with both adults and peers.
• Emotional and motivational readiness is not just
  good for, but critical to, learning.

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What do local data suggest?

• Source
• School Readiness and Student Achievement A
  Longitudinal Analysis for Santa Clara and San
  Mateo County Students
• Compared 3rd grade ELA and Math CST scores with K
  readiness data of 1,543 students
• Developed by
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation
• Santa Clara Partnership for School Readiness
• Applied Survey Research

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BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS OF READINESS
See Attachment
Academics Recognizes letters Recognizes
shapes Recognizes colors Counts 10
objects Engages with books Writes own first
name Recognizes rhyming words
Self-Regulation
Comforts self Pays attention
Controls impulses Follows directions
Negotiates solutions Plays cooperatively
Participates in circle time Handles frustration
well
Social Expression Expresses empathy Relates
well to adults Has expressive abilities Is
curious eager to learn Expresses needs
wants Engages in symbolic play
Self-Care and Motor SkillsUses small
manipulativesHas general coordinationPerforms
basic self-help / self-care tasks
www.siliconvalleycf.org
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What do Local Data Suggest?

• 70 of children who were proficient in all 4
  building blocks were proficient or advanced in
  ELA and Math by 3rd grade
• Only 25 of the children who were not proficient
  at K entry were proficient or advanced by 3rd
  grade
• Kindergarten readiness was a much bigger
  predictor of 3rd grade success for Latino
  children
• Children most successful at 3rd grade had a
  strong combination of K academics and
  self-regulation

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Percentage Scoring Proficient or Advanced at
3rd grade, by Readiness Pattern
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What do local data suggest?

• Who is most likely to be Ready at K and
• Successful by 3rd grade?
• Children who are 5 before K entry
• Children with parents who
• Read with them more often
• Tell stories and sing songs
• Have higher maternal education
• Are Asian, Caucasian
• Are High income
• _____________________
• Preschool impacts readiness, but does not
  predict success separately

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What is your school philosophy?How will TK
support the larger philosophy of the school,
district?
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What are your core values?

• Children need many opportunities for work and
  play that cultivate their individual styles,
  recognize their cultures, and accommodate their
  individual needs.
• Children gain understanding of the world and
  society by exploring materials, engaging in
  physical activities, and interacting with peers
  and adults.
• Children need sufficient time to become involved
  in projects and investigations to satisfy their
  own interests. Balancing child-initiated and
  teacher-selected activities enhances learning.

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What are the benefits of TK?How is TK different
than K?

• Transitional kindergarten serves as a bridge
  between preschool and kindergarten, giving
  children more time for hands-on, interactive
  learning.
• Transitional kindergarten provides young learners
  with high-quality kindergarten readiness at no
  cost to parents.
• Transitional kindergarten helps children adjust
  to the school environment develop strong
  learning skills in preparation for kindergarten.

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What are the benefits of TK?How is TK different
than K?

• TK students will be better prepared to succeed in
  traditional kindergarten and beyond
• TK improves social-emotional and cognitive
  development
• Early, rich preparation improves test scores
• Early, rich preparation reduces grade retention
  and special education placement
• TK is a tremendous opportunity to integrate early
  learning and elementary systems

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Consider a Blended Approach

• Begin with an intentional focus on a learning
  objective (standards-based)
• Include learning through play, doing, interacting
  (experiential)
• Plan the learning within a childs zone of
  proximal success (developmental)
• Based upon student interests (emerging)

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What does the research suggest?Source National
Academy of Sciences from Neurons to Neighborhoods

• 3 Qualities
• Needed for School Success
• Intellectual Skills
• Motivation to Learn
• Strong Social-emotional Capacity

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What are the Standards?
Preschool Foundations Social-Emotional Development Language and Literacy English-Language Development for English learners Mathematics TK Possibilities Traditional Kindergarten
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What is different?Social Emotional Development
Preschool Foundations 48 Months Describe their physical characteristics, behavior, and abilities positively 60 Months Compare their characteristics with those of others and display a growing awareness of their psychological characteristics, such as thoughts and feelings Possible TK Objectives Teach children to Describe their own physical characteristics Name ways in which people are similar and ways in which they are different Name basic body parts and their functions Describe the five senses Identify personal feelings Ask for help when confused or after several attempts to solve a problem
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What is different?Self Regulation
Preschool Foundations 48 Months Need adult guidance in managing their attention, feelings, and impulses, show some effort at self-control 60 Months Regulate their attention, thoughts, feelings, and impulses more consistently, although adult guidance is sometimes necessary Possible TK Objectives Teach children to Communicate personal needs Express a range of emotions appropriately Follow rules for safe play and safety routines Share or take turns Focus attention Delay gratification Anticipate the schedule, routines Explain the classroom rules
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What is different?Initiative in Learning
Preschool Foundations 48 Months Enjoy learning and are confident in their abilities to make new discoveries although may not persist at solving difficult problems 60 Months Take greater initiative in making new discoveries, identifying new solutions, and persisting in trying to figure things out Possible TK Objectives Teach children to Suggest other ways of doing things Offer information known or discovered Ask to learn more about a subject, event, or experience, demonstrating curiosity Make connections, see similarities between new learning and prior learning or experience Ask relative questions
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Possible Kindergarten to TKCCS Standards Work
K) RLA. 1. With prompting and support, ask and
answer questions about key details in a text. K)
RLA 2. With prompting and support, retell
familiar stories, including key details.
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Possible Kindergarten to TKCCS Standards Work
K) RLA. 1. With prompting and support, ask and
answer questions about key details in a text.
TK) RLA 1. With prompting and support, ask and
answer questions about a story or poem read-aloud

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Daily Schedule
830 - 845 Nametags, stow lunch boxes, and
outside play 845 - 910 Rug time Teacher and
children Work-parents set up individual
activities 910 - 1015 Activity time
Work-parents work with groups of children 1015
- 1025 Clean up EVERYONE helps 1025 - 1120
Snack and outside time Adults monitor and
engage in outside activities 1120 - 1130 Yard
cleanup EVERYONE helps 1130 1140 The run
Children run two laps as a group 1145
1205 Lunch Children eat in small groups with
adults 1205 1210 Children come into the room
and select a book from bins to read quietly on
the carpet 1210 1215 Final rug time
1215 Dismissal
Does it support your philosophy?
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Assessment Considerations

• How will it be different than a kindergarten
  assessment? Will it include some developmental
  readiness components?
• Pre- assessment plan?
• Skills, Readiness, Observation survey
• Post assessment plan?
• What will you do with the data?
• How will use it to show growth?
• How will you use it to evaluate the effectiveness
  of the TK design?

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Communication Considerations

• TK round-up and program promotion
• Parent involvement
• Parent conferences
• How will you inform families of current and
  future events?
• How will you report student progress?
• Local community outreach and partnership
• Preschool continuity and enrollment

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SMCOE Sample Brochure
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SMCOE FAQs for Teachers and Leaders
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Professional Learning Considerations

• English language development and strategies
• Creating child centered classrooms
• Experiential (interactive) writing
• Social-emotional development
• Creating positive behavior systems
• Creating and sustaining family support
• Curriculum development (math and literacy)
• SMCOE Spring Workshops

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In Closing

• Questions or Curiosities
• SMCOE Support
• On-line Resources
• FAQs, Brochure, References
• Updates CSBA (Nov), WestEd/CDE (Jan)
• Evaluation identify support needs
• Learning Circles (flyer)