Transitional Kindergarten
By Angel Jenkins
Once upon a time, kindergarten was about recognizing your ABCs and learning to walk in a line — rewarded with a nap at mid-day. With kindergarten curricula becoming more rigorous, often resembling former first-grade expectations, many 4-year-olds are not quite ready for the academic demands.
Serving as a bridge between where students are developmentally and where they will need to be in kindergarten is a program called Transitional Kindergarten (TK). As starting school is a big step for any child, TK supports young learners’ needs and prepares them for the rigors of elementary school, in hopes of ensuring better academic success down the line.
According to the website tkcalifornia.org, TK is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program, utilizing a modified, age-appropriate curriculum that balances play-based exploration with foundational academic learning. Taught by credentialed teachers, TK is a high-quality educational experience that offers numerous advantages for students’ long-term development.
The website notes that Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 130 in 2021, “which will gradually expand Transitional Kindergarten over a four-year period, between the 2022-23 to 2025-26 school years, until all 4-year-olds have the opportunity to attend a high-quality, developmentally appropriate TK program and enter Kindergarten prepared to learn and thrive.”
Benefits of Transitional Kindergarten
Promoting Long-Term Success: Besides helping students hit the ground running in kindergarten, TK benefits students in later grades. This lasting impact shows up down the line, particularly in reading and writing.
Closing Achievement Gaps: Especially when children haven’t attended preschool, TK can be extra beneficial, introducing them to a traditional classroom setting and high-quality education regardless of their socioeconomic background.
Providing Smoother Transitions: TK kids feel safer and more prepared to learn because of its gradual and supportive experiences making them ready to enter the public school system.
Emphasizing Emotional and Social Growth: Students develop vital social and emotional skills in an age-appropriate environment …
Children learn to take turns and share with their peers through cooperative play. Students build self-control, empathy, problem-solving skills, and the ability to express their feelings appropriately.
Putting on a backpack, listening to and taking direction from teachers, and navigating the cafeteria, which builds confidence in a structured setting, are examples of the “student skills” mastered in TK.
Building a Strong Academic Foundation: Data supports the idea that TK participants enter kindergarten with significantly stronger skills than their peers who do not attend TK. Reasons for this include …
Developmentally Appropriate Learning: Key academic concepts like letters, numbers, and patterns are learned in TK through hands-on, play-based activities, rather than high-pressure, formal instruction. This thoughtful balance of fun and education creates a solid foundation for future learning.
Improved Math and Literacy Skills: When compared to non-TK participants, TK students have been shown to be three months ahead in math and as much as five months ahead in literacy skills, studies have shown.
With these things in mind, transitional kindergarten can help students better thrive in elementary school and beyond … bridging the readiness gap with age-appropriate preparation. Families can learn more about specific program availability and enrollment requirements by contacting their local school districts or visiting resources like tkcalifornia.org.
Sources:
