Los Angeles Unified School District
Transitional Kindergarten
Preparing Our Youngest Students to
Succeed in Kindergarten and Beyond
November 8, 2011
TK Cohort I Student Demographics
2010-11
2
Schools Total Number of
Students
8
LD2 - 4
LD3 - 3
LD4 - 4
LD5 - 4
LD6 - 4
LD7 - 5
LD8 - 4
36
LD1 -
162
78
41
79
67
72
70
88
657
ELL
Students
88
45
23
56
32
53
29
49
375
Gender
Boys
Girls
99
46
27
42
31
44
38
53
380
63
32
14
37
36
28
32
35
277
Children
w/IEPS
16
13
8
6
2
3
5
7
60
TK Teachers 2010-11
3

Cohort I - 37 teachers
 100%
had kindergarten teaching experience
 25% had preschool teaching experience
 16% with National Board Certification
 38% with Bilingual skills
TK Teachers 2011-12
4

Cohort II - 115 teachers




95% with kindergarten teaching experience
35% with preschool teaching experience
5% with National Board Certification
55% with BCC or BCLAD (Spanish)
SB 1831…TK Curriculum
5
SB 1831…” The first year of a twoyear kindergarten program that uses
a modified kindergarten curriculum
that is age and developmentally
appropriate.”
What Are our Goals for TK Students?
6
How Do We Support Children In
Achieving those Goals?
7
1.
Active Learning Experiences
2.
Learning Centers/Interest Areas
3.
Varied Instructional Strategies
4.
Integrated Curriculum
5.
Balance Between Teacher-Directed and
Child-Directed Activities
Active Learning Experiences
8
Teacher and students learn from each
other
Teacher sets up the environment to
engage interests of children
Teacher provides opportunities to facilitate
conversations around interesting topics
Learning Centers/Interest Areas










Library /Reading
Listening Center
Writing Center
Computers
Science Discovery
Math Manipulatives
Block Area
Dramatic Play
Sand and Water
Art/Painting
Varied Instructional Strategies
10



ELD Strategies from K-teacher Trainings
 Think-Pair-Share
 Thinking Maps
Planning for Oral Language Development
 Anchor Book
 Vocabulary focus-songs & chants
 Enrichment Activities & Center Extension
Dialogic Reading-”an interactive shared picture
book reading practice designed to enhance young
children's language and literacy skills.”
How to Modify the Curriculum?
11
Building the Foundation
12
•Alphabet Time – Accelerate lessons
•Phonological Awareness
•Alphabet Recognition
•Print Awareness
•Oral Language- support for ELLs
•Book Time- Throughout the year
•Read Aloud
•Shared Writing
•Oral Retell
TK Language Arts Curriculum
13
Little Treasures-Alphabet
Time
+
Kinder ELD Treasures
 Phonological
 Phonemic
awareness
 Alphabet recognition
 Print Awareness
 Oral Language
 Phonics
Awareness
 High-frequency
words
 Practice Readers
 Oral Language
Resources to Develop Concepts and
Vocabulary in Curricular Areas
14



Mathematics – Mathematics Their Way
Science – California Science Center “I Am a Scientist”
Physical Development – SPARK program
Vocabulary Development and Hands-on Experiences!
Key Math Skills & Concepts
15
SKILLS AND CONCEPTS:





Free Exploration - Counting
Number
Patterns
Sorting and Classifying
Comparing
FOUNDATION/STANDARD:





Mathematical Reasoning
Number Sense
Algebra and Functions
Geometry
Measurement
Science Curriculum
16



Hands on materials
Read Aloud books
Integration of all domains, reading, writing,
mathematics, and social studies
Physical Development
17
SPARK Manual K-2
 SPARK Music CD
 Equipment
 Web site:
Sparkfamily.org

How is TK Different?
18

Groupings – small flexible groups

Shorter blocks of time

Intentional interest areas/centers

Flexibility of schedule
19
Professional Development
20
Teacher and Principal Overview
 3 – Day Teacher Institute
 In the Works:
 District online TK Modules
 Video clips of TK classrooms and best
practice teaching strategies

21
“Show me and I forget;
Teach me and I remember;
Involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin
Los Angeles Unified School District
Early Childhood Education
22
Contact Information:
Janis Shinmei-Program Coordinator
janis.shinmei@lausd.net
213.241.4713