LoginOur #1 priority at our preschool is to make sure your child is ready for the next step in their education and are prepared to face the new challenges of Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and/or Kindergarten. In the Spring, we hold assessments to determine whether TK or Kindergarten would be a better fit for the student. This assessment is meant to set the student up for success and place them in the best learning environment. Below, you will find more information about the assessment process and what to expect from TK and Kindergarten.
Understanding Assessment Tests for TK and Kindergarten Readiness
The transition from preschool to Transitional Kindergarten (TK) or Kindergarten is a significant milestone for children and their families. As educators, we recognize that the process of determining a child’s readiness for this next stage in their education is about more than just age—it’s about understanding where they are developmentally and placing them in an environment where they will thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Cutoff Dates for TK and Kindergarten Enrollment
The first step in determining eligibility for TK or Kindergarten involves specific age cutoff dates:
• TK (Transitional Kindergarten): Children who turn 5 years old between September 2 and March 1 are eligible for TK.
• Kindergarten: Children must be turning 5 years old on or before September 1 to enroll in Kindergarten.
These cutoff dates ensure that children entering TK are ready for a classroom environment that bridges the gap between preschool and Kindergarten, while those entering Kindergarten have reached a key developmental milestone.
A Note on Placement
While cutoff dates provide a general guideline, age alone is not always the best indicator of readiness. We believe that early childhood education should be a personalized experience, tailored to each child’s developmental stage. This is why we take the assessment process so seriously. Our goal is to place each child in a learning environment that best supports their growth, helping them develop a love for learning and setting them up for success throughout their academic journey.
Classroom Visits and Preschool Partnership
Before formal assessments begin, we partner closely with preschools to observe students in the environment where they feel most comfortable. Preschool teachers share valuable insights about each child’s readiness, and we take this feedback seriously. Additionally, our Pre-K teachers observe TK and Kindergarten classrooms to ensure that the transition between programs is smooth and supportive for every child.
The Assessment Process: What to Expect
Our assessments are designed to be comprehensive, allowing us to evaluate key areas of readiness. The process takes approximately 40 minutes, during which we assess groups of three children at a time, rotating them between three teachers who focus on different skill sets.
The areas assessed include:
• Literacy Skills: Name and letter recognition, letter-sound correspondence, verbal skills, and color recognition.
• Number Sense: Counting, number sequencing, shape recognition, patterning, and one-to-one correspondence.
• Fine Motor Skills: Pencil grip, cutting, drawing, name writing, and other tasks requiring precision.
• Social-Emotional Skills: Comfortability in a group setting, ability to follow directions, focus on teacher-led tasks, and readiness to work in a classroom environment.
Following the assessment, our team will discuss each child individually to ensure that placement decisions reflect both their academic abilities and developmental needs. Final placement decisions will be communicated via email, with acceptance notifications and classroom assignments delivered by Thursday, March 28, 2024.
Upcoming Assessment Dates
To accommodate all families, we offer multiple assessment dates:
• Saturday, February 24, 2024
• Saturday, March 2, 2024
• Saturday, March 16, 2024
This thorough assessment process ensures that each child is placed in an environment that meets their unique needs, fostering both their love for learning and their long-term academic success.
What is Transitional Kindergarten (TK)?
Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is a specialized, two-year Kindergarten program that serves as a bridge between preschool and traditional Kindergarten. Designed for children who are not quite ready for Kindergarten but are beyond the preschool stage, TK provides an enriched early childhood education experience that focuses on school readiness, both socially and academically.
A Developmentally Appropriate Bridge
TK is specifically designed for children who turn 5 between September 2 and March 1. These children may benefit from the gift of an extra year to develop socially, emotionally, and academically before entering traditional Kindergarten. With elementary school becoming more structured and demanding, TK allows young learners the chance to build foundational skills at a pace that supports their natural development.
TK Curriculum: A Balanced Approach
The TK program mirrors a traditional Kindergarten day but offers more opportunities for play-based learning, which is essential at this developmental stage. TK students participate in the same enrichment classes as Kindergarteners, including Music, Theater Arts, P.E., Art, STEM, and Library. This variety ensures that children are exposed to a well-rounded educational experience while enjoying a modified Kindergarten curriculum tailored to their readiness.
The goal of TK is to allow children time to grow at their own pace. Students work on essential skills such as literacy, math, writing, and journaling while also developing crucial social-emotional skills like self-regulation, cooperation, and problem-solving. By the time they enter Kindergarten, TK students have a solid foundation that prepares them for long-term success.
Key Skills Developed in TK
In TK, we focus on a wide range of skills that promote both academic and social growth. Some of these include:
Language and Literacy Skills:
• Recognizing and writing uppercase letters, with exposure to lowercase letters.
• Identifying their name in print and beginning to write it.
• Drawing pictures to express ideas and understanding stories.
• Recognizing basic colors and handling books appropriately.
Speaking and Listening Skills:
• Sharing experiences in a way that is understood by others.
• Following two-step directions and answering simple questions like “who,” “what,” and “where.”
• Singing or saying familiar songs, which boosts confidence and language skills.
Mathematical Thinking:
• Counting aloud from 1-10 and identifying written numbers in that range.
• Recognizing basic shapes and understanding the concept of more or less.
• Demonstrating one-to-one correspondence for numbers 1-10 and repeating simple patterns.
Social and Self-Help Skills:
• Independently using the bathroom, dressing themselves (buttons, zippers, jackets), and transitioning from home to school with ease.
• Willingness to take risks and complete unfamiliar tasks.
• Using words to express feelings and following classroom rules.
• Cooperating with peers and expressing emotions appropriately.
Fine Motor Skills:
• Holding a pencil and scissors, tracing letters and shapes, and zipping/unzipping backpacks and lunchboxes independently.
The Gift of Time
Transitional Kindergarten is truly a gift of time for young children. It allows them the space to further develop essential skills that are crucial for success in elementary school and beyond. Children who participate in TK enter Kindergarten confident, capable, and excited to continue learning. They’ve been given the tools to succeed not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well, which lays the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
By focusing on developmentally appropriate practices and creating a nurturing environment, TK sets the stage for future success, helping children make a smooth transition to traditional Kindergarten and the school years that follow.
Kindergarten Readiness: A Comprehensive Guide
Kindergarten readiness involves a variety of skills and abilities that children must develop to succeed in a structured school environment. These skills build on the foundations established during Transitional Kindergarten (TK), providing children with the necessary tools for academic and social success. In addition to the TK readiness skills, Kindergarten readiness focuses on self-help, social, motor, language, literacy, and mathematical skills that allow children to transition smoothly into formal schooling.
Self-Help and Social Skills
By the time children are ready for Kindergarten, they should be developing greater independence in their self-care routines and demonstrating a strong ability to navigate social situations. These skills allow them to function autonomously within the classroom and interact appropriately with peers and adults.
• Bathroom Independence: Children should be able to use the bathroom independently, managing personal hygiene such as hand washing.
• Dressing Skills: Children should be capable of dressing themselves, including handling buttons, zippers, and putting on their own jackets.
• Quiet Time and Transitions: They should be able to relax during quiet time and transition smoothly from home to school with little need for parental support.
• Task Engagement: Kindergarteners should be able to stay focused on teacher-directed tasks for up to 15 minutes, displaying an ability to complete puzzles or other tasks independently.
• Emotional Expression and Communication: It’s important that children can express personal needs like hunger or discomfort, as well as their emotions, using words. For example, they should be able to say, “I’m tired” or “I’m upset,” and express empathy towards others by responding to a peer’s distress.
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