In transitional Kindergarten, children learn through hands-on experiences and benefit from many opportunities for practice. Children strive to make connections between all the new ideas and information they are learning. We make a deliberate effort to reinforce connections by explicitly relating topics to student experiences and developing engaging lessons rooted in our unit themes. Throughout each day, math, language, literacy and social emotional skills are integrated into lessons and activities.
A vibrant TK classroom is busy with activities and conversations, and filled with the excitement of small groups composed of children building similar skills together. The TK classroom is purposefully designed to include accessible learning centers that cultivate curiosity and reflect the beauty, strength and capacity of all learners. Activities also challenge each child at the right level to build success, persist through difficulty with little frustration and get to the next level of skill.
Our TK classroom integrates children's play into daily learning activities to support healthy cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.
The following is a basic guide to our day and is often altered according to the daily needs of the students.
Table Time
Each child is greeted at the door. They put away their belongings; choose a morning activity to play with a friend.
Morning Meeting
Attendance, calendar, announcements, morning greeting and story time.
Math Centers
Children choose the center activity they would like to play. Centers are based on the skills we are learning for the unit. Small groups work with the teacher playing a math game.
Language Arts
Children will work in a large group, small groups or individually to learn and improve skills in listening, speaking and comprehension.
Recess and Lunch
Children will eat a healthy snack and practice safe and respectful social interactions with peers and adults.
Music, Sharing and Read Aloud
Children will build their reading and phonemic awareness skills through singing, sharing and listening to a story read aloud.
Exploration
Opportunities for small group exploration and thematic inquiry based learning. Children choose the activity they would like to explore daily.
Choice Time
Children will have the chance to choose activities of interest to help build their motor coordination and social skills. Activities include painting at the easel, thematic art activities, blocks, playhouse, puzzles, iPads, etc.
Clean-up and Departure
Students cooperatively clean up choice time activities and we begin our dismissal routine.