Preparing Our Youngest Students to
Succeed in Kindergarten

Introduce yourself to your table partners.
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At your table, how many years experience do you have combined as pre-k/kinder teachers?
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Write any questions that you hope will be answered today. (One question per post-it.)
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Share what you love most about teaching kindergarten.

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Understand the purpose behind TK
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Learn about instructional expectations for TK students and resources to support instruction
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Develop solutions to manage a split TK/K class that meets the needs of all students

Kinder
Readine ss
What skills (social and academic) should a child have to demonstrate kindergarten readiness?

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An early childhood education program
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Builds a bridge between preschool and traditional Kindergarten
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Has a focus on literacy and numeracy along with strong emphasis on self-regulation and social engagement

Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010
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Senate Bill No. 1381 amended to change the required birthday for admission to kindergarten and first grade and establish a
Transitional Kindergarten program beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.

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“ Today ’ s kindergarten classroom is a much different place than most of us experienced.
We ’ re placing real academic demands on our kids, and the youngest are struggling to keep up.
The evidence shows that giving these younger kindergarteners an extra year can make a big difference in heir long-term success.
”
Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto)

A child shall be admitted to kindergarten if the child will have his/her fifth birthday on or before…
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For the 2011-12 school year the date is December 2nd
For the 2012-13 school year the date is November 1st
For the 2013-14 school year the date is October 1st
For the 2014-15 school year and each school year thereafter the date is September 1st

The TK children come from your K student population
Presented by Preschool California
Page 6

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It is the first year of a two year kindergarten program.
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It follows the full day schedule of Traditional kindergarten.
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It is based on the California Kindergarten Common
Core State Standards and California Content
Standards.
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It provides a modified kindergarten curriculum that is both age and developmentally appropriate.

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Provides an opportunity to learn important academic and social skills in a hands-on way that supports their development.
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Emphasis is placed on oral language skills and integrated experiences across the content areas.
Partner Share:
Think about your past kindergarteners who struggled. If you had had more time to ensure their success in kindergarten, what might you have done differently?

The How:
When teaching TK, consider DAP
Developmentally Appropriate Practices
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Age appropriate
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Individually appropriate
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Culturally appropriate

The How:
Meeting TK/K Needs
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– small flexible groups
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blocks of time
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interest areas/centers
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of schedule

The How:
Classroom Environment
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Sets the stage for active and engaged learning
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Warm, welcoming and inclusive students of all
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Safe, organized , and has clear pathways for movement

Teacher sets up the environment to engage interests.
Teacher and students learn from each other.
Teacher provides opportunities to facilitate conversations around interesting topics.

Social Emotional
Development
Language and
Literacy
English Language
Development
Mathematics

“…this framework presents strategies and information to enrich learning and development opportunities for all of California ’s preschool children.
”

• What point(s) did you find particularly striking and why?
• What connections did you make?
• What questions do you have?

What is a TK modified curriculum based on?

The What:
Foundations & Standards
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describes the knowledge and skills that all young children typically exhibit when attending a high-quality program at or around
of age.
Kindergarten standards address grade level expectations regardless of age.

The What:
The Preschool Learning Foundations
Volume 1
Social Emotional
Language and Literacy
English Language
Development
Mathematics http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psfoundations.asp
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psframework.asp

The What:
• Foundation

The What:
Identify the differences between 48 months, 60 months, and K standards on your alignment doc.

The What:
Consider how you might teach a whole group lesson meeting the needs of both TK and K.
•
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Keep in mind:
The Foundations/Standards
The Overarching Principles

The How:
Preschool Curriculum Framework
After you have completed the handout, take a moment to read/skim through different features of the book to better understand what each component offers.

Learning Centers and Universal Access
“During play, children maximize their attention span...
Play not only provides the context for thinking, building knowledge, being attentive, solving problems, and increasing social skills, it also helps children to integrate their emotional experiences and internalize guidance from their teachers.”
Preschool Curriculum Framework, Overarching Priniciples

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Library /Reading Area
Listening Area
Writing Area
Computer Area
Science Discovery Area
Math Area
Block Area
Dramatic Play Area
Sand and Water Area
Art/Painting Area

Raffle tickets will be awarded for those who return on time.
Have a nice lunch.
Thank you!

Learning Centers and Universal Access
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With the use of the alignment document, consider how one learning center can support development of both the a Preschool Foundation skill and a Kindergarten Standard skill.
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How am I supporting Language Development
Opportunities and Social Skill Development?

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What is the purpose behind TK?
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What is the role of assessments?
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Assessments along with teacher observations will be used to monitor your child’s growth and progress throughout the year. Staff members will use this information to guide instruction, individualized to meet your child’s needs.

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CELDT – initial / PreLAS Espanol
DIBELS Next – Print, save, and place assessment report in CUM
District ELA K Constructive Response
District Math Quarterly Assessment
School selected assessments
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ELD portfolio
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Report card – follow district reporting period use the category dropdown comment, “Reflects enrollment in Transitional Kindergarten”
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Benchmark goals for TK have not been established

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See REF-5777.2
Transitional Kindergarten
Implementation
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Parent Request Form
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Kindergarten Continuance Form must be signed by a parent for a child to be considered a TK student
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Put both forms in the child ’ s cum

 Social Emotional - Second Step
 Language Arts –
K-Treasures
 ELD –
Treasures ELD and Into English (supplemental resource)
 Mathematics enVison CCSS Math, About Teaching
Number Sense (Marilyn Burns), Developing Number Sense
Book 1 (Kathy Richardson)
 Science FOSS Kits
 Social Studies
–
Scott Foresman HSS or Harcourt
Reflections
 Physical Development –
SPARK/Nike Let Me Play
 Art –
Art Instructional Guide arts.lausd.net

Definition
Facts
Transitional
Examples of what instruction looks like
Kindergarten
Non-Examples

Visit the LAUSD – Transitional Kindergarten website http://achieve.lausd.net/site/default.aspx?PageID=6503

Thank you for your participation and for the outstanding work you do for children and their families.