Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1103796
hold a pencil, sit in a circle, take turns speaking, share toys, be good listeners, and transition from one activity to another. "ey are developing a love of learning and working on their social skills," says Bremner, a teacher at Cresson Elementar y School in Norwalk and member of the Little Lake Education Association. Like Rodriguez, the former kindergarten teacher was asked to teach TK because she had a background in early childhood. When she taught kindergarten, curriculum was fast-paced and did not always coincide with a child's readiness or maturity level, she recalls. Students did not have time to explore or engage in play-based learning. In TK, there is less pressure and more time for children to build a foundation of learning that will help them succeed not only in kindergarten, but throughout their school years, she believes. "TK gives children the gift of time. It allows them to enter kinder- garten with a base in academics such as reading, writing and numbers, but also teaches them to be good students and good citizens. TK is a wonderful investment for our children." e full-time TK program was so successful, her district decided to open it up for students who turned 5 between Sept. 2 and March 2. A new state law allows school districts to expand accessibility and enroll children in TK if they turn 5 after the Dec. 2 cutoff birthdate but before the end of the school year. However, districts are not required to offer expanded TK. Of the state's 25 largest districts, only six make it available, including San Diego, Long Beach and Los Angeles unified school districts, reports EdSource. "At first I was apprehensive when the district increased accessibility, TK from a parent's perspective Neal Pretto is thriving in second grade at Community School in San Francisco, where he is nicknamed the "Little Profes- sor" and enjoys his school's emphasis on project-based learning. "He's a good student," says his proud mother, Lexie Pretto, an English teacher at Woodside High School and member of the Sequoia District Teachers Association. She credits much of Neal's success to attending a transitional kindergarten pro- gram in San Francisco that prepared him for the rigors of kindergarten. "I liked TK a lot," says Neal. "I learned a lot of stuff that I wouldn't have learned if I had spent another year in preschool." When he entered TK, he was a 4-year- old boy full of energy and didn't want to sit still, his mother recalls. Neal was more interested in playing with blocks and manipulatives than academics. She wor- ried briefly that he had ADHD, but those fears evaporated after a few months in TK. "He needed to learn the ropes of being in school, and by the time he was ready for kindergarten, he was ready to be an awesome kindergartner." TK helped Neal understand how to lis- ten and pay attention. Students practiced yoga, and Neal learned how to center his body so he could focus. Because TK was fun, he viewed school as something pos- itive and enjoyable, and this perception stays with him to this day. Pretto is grateful that Neal had the opportunity to thrive in the fun, stim- ulating and relatively pressure-free environment that TK provided. "TK was a terrific move from the state. From my own personal experience, I know how beneficial it can be." " TK isn't perfect, but it's definitely improving educational outcomes for students and helping to close the achievement gap in California." — ELAINE MERRIWEATHER, United Educators of San Francisco Lexie Pretto believes her son Neal benefited from attending transitional kindergarten. 35 A P R I L / M AY 2 019