Los Angeles Unified School District

Transitional Kindergarten

Preparing Our Youngest Students toSucceed in Kindergarten and Beyond

November 8, 2011

TK Cohort I Student Demographics

2010-112

Schools Total Number of Students

ELL Students

Gender Children w/IEPS

Boys Girls

LD1 - 8 162 88 99 63 16LD2 - 4 78 45 46 32 13LD3 - 3 41 23 27 14 8LD4 - 4 79 56 42 37 6LD5 - 4 67 32 31 36 2LD6 - 4 72 53 44 28 3LD7 - 5 70 29 38 32 5LD8 - 4 88 49 53 35 7

36 657 375 380 277 60

TK Teachers 2010-113

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 2011-124

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 Curriculum5

SB 1831…” The first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate.”

What Are our Goals for TK Students?

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How Do We Support How Do We Support Children In Achieving those Children In Achieving those Goals?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

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Active Learning Active Learning ExperiencesExperiences

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 Learning Centers/Interest AreasCenters/Interest Areas

Library /Reading Listening Center Writing Center Computers Science Discovery Math Manipulatives Block Area Dramatic Play Sand and Water Art/Painting

Varied Instructional Varied Instructional StrategiesStrategies

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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 How to Modify the CurriculumCurriculum?

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•Alphabet Time – •Phonological Awareness•Alphabet Recognition•Print Awareness•Oral Language- support for ELLs

•Book Time- •Read Aloud•Shared Writing•Oral Retell

Accelerate lessons

Throughout the year

Building the FoundationBuilding the Foundation

TK Language Arts TK Language Arts CurriculumCurriculum

Phonological awareness

Alphabet recognition

Print Awareness Oral Language

Phonemic Awareness

Phonics High-frequency

words Practice Readers Oral Language

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Little Treasures-Alphabet Time

Kinder ELD Treasures+

Resources to Develop Resources to Develop Concepts and Vocabulary in Concepts and Vocabulary in Curricular AreasCurricular Areas14

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 & ConceptsKey Math Skills & Concepts

SKILLS AND CONCEPTS:

Free Exploration - Counting

Number Patterns Sorting and

Classifying Comparing

FOUNDATION/STANDARD:

Mathematical ReasoningNumber Sense Algebra and Functions

GeometryMeasurement

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Science CurriculumScience Curriculum

Hands on materials Read Aloud books Integration of all domains, reading,

writing, mathematics, and social studies

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Physical DevelopmentPhysical Development

SPARK Manual K-2

SPARK Music CD Equipment Web site:

Sparkfamily.org

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How is TK Different?How is TK Different?

Groupings – small flexible groups

Shorter blocks of time

Intentional interest areas/centers

Flexibility of schedule

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Professional Professional DevelopmentDevelopment

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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

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“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

Contact Information:Janis Shinmei-Program Coordinator

janis.shinmei@lausd.net213.241.4713

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