Welcome
Hi, There!
to
Cypress
Cove!
I’m T.J.!
April 8, 2013
Your little eaglet
is about to
complete his or
her first year of
“big school!”
You may be
wondering what
happens after
kindergarten.
Finding the best
placement for each
individual child is an
important decision.
Kindergarteners
have the unique
opportunity to go
to one of three
places:
1. Your child may repeat his
or her kindergarten
experience.
2. Your child may attend
Transitional First Grade.
3. Your child may attend
regular First Grade.
Deciding where to place
a child is very personal.
It may be an easy choice
for some parents and
teachers, but it may be
harder for others.
We understand that and
we’re here to help.
Let’s talk about
the choices.
Repeating Kindergarten
Every child grows, develops, and learns at a unique pace. For
some children, repeating kindergarten may be the right choice.
The decision to have a child repeat kindergarten
is made after parents, teachers, and
administrators have talked about an individual
child’s unique needs and abilities.
Why would a child
repeat Kindergarten?
If a child demonstrates
developmental
youngness or has not
yet mastered
kindergarten readiness
skills.
Children who repeat
kindergarten because of
emotional or social youngness
usually begin their second
year of kindergarten with
increased self-confidence and
independence. They often
have a better command of
language.
Transitional First Grade
Some children may have mastered most or all of their
kindergarten academic skills, but still seem developmentally
young compared to their peers. For these children, our
developmental T-1 might be a good placement.
The decision to have a child
attend T-1 is made after
parents, teachers, and
administrators have talked
about an individual child’s
unique needs and abilities.
We may recommend that your
child attend T-1 if we have
observed academic readiness
and developmental or emotional
youngness.
Children who attend T-1 move on
with academic skills including a
review of kindergarten skills, sight
words, hands-on math and
language activities, small reading
group lessons, and fine motor
tasks.
Transitional First Grade
Our T-1 program has been designed through a collaborative
effort between early childhood educators, school
administrators, curriculum specialists, and supervisors.
The curriculum designed especially for T-1 kids incorporates
components from both the kindergarten and the first grade
curriculums.
Like all students at CCE, T-1 children are given individualized
reading instruction using a wide variety of materials including
primary readers, authentic literature, “take home books,” and
interactive technology. All T-1 teachers are highly qualified.
Transitional First Grade
T-1 is a place for children to learn, grow, and develop
without undue stress and pressure. Although we do
consider behaviors when evaluating a child’s
developmental readiness, we do not recommend
children for T-1 exclusively for behavioral reasons.
First Grade
First grade is designed for children who have mastered kindergarten academic
skills.
Children who attend first grade are given the opportunity for growth and
development in the following areas:
•Reading fluency, comprehension, and phonetic skills
•Math skills such as addition, subtraction, time,
money, algebra, geometry, and problem solving
•Language, writing, and spelling
•Science and social studies
First Grade
The main focus of our first grade curriculum is reading and
math. A typical first grade day is spent with teachers and
students working on uninterrupted instruction and learning for
the majority of the morning. The children attend classes such
as P.E., music, and art during the afternoon hours.
If children struggle with academic skills in first grade, we will
put interventions in place to help them become successful.
First grade is a critical year for
your child’s future academic
success. We want to make sure
that all of our new first graders
are ready for the challenges and
excitement of this grade.
Like you, we want for all of our
children to be successful in school.
We want them to be challenged
and excited about learning.
It’s a Big Decision!
The ultimate decision about where your kindergartener will
spend his or her next school year is yours. We understand that
you know and love your child better than anyone.
We believe that as educators, we also have a unique point of
view. We have worked with your children in the school and
classroom settings. We have had the opportunity to watch
your child grow and learn in the company of his or her peers.
We do our very best to make sure that the recommendations
we make are in the best interest of each individual child.
We promise to do our best
to help every child learn.
It is our pleasure
and privilege to
work with you and
your children.
Thank you for
coming today!
We hope this
information helps you to
make the best decision
for your CCE kid!