Ready, Set, Go! Kindergarten Presentation

1. Ready, Set, Go!Kindergarten Presentation Preparing for success in kindergarten and beyond

2. Kindergarten Today • Kindergarten has changed since we were young • Kindergarten Common Core Standards • ELA • http://www.ocde.us/CommonCoreCA/Documents/ca_ccss_ela_grade_k.pdf • Math • http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/documents/aug2013kindergarten.pdf • Parents are their child’s first and most important teacher • Partnership between home and school is essential • Age should not predetermine Kinder readiness • Your child needs to be ready socially, emotionally, and academically.

3. It is Not All About Academics.. • Gross and Fine Motor Skills-- time to develop large and small muscles • Social Emotional—time to develop skills to get along with others, take turns, interact with peers, deal with emotions appropriately, etc. • Oral Language—vocabulary development, sentence structure, academic language (foundation for success in reading, writing, and other subject areas)

4. Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010 • SB 1381 (Simitian, Chapter 705, Statutes of Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010) • Established Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to prepare California’s youngest children for success in kindergarten and beyond. • Changed kindergarten entry date from December 2 to September 1. • Changed first grade entry date as well.

5. Transitional Kindergarten Transitional kindergarten is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. CDE Transitional Kindergarten

6. Eligibility Dates for the 2014-2015 School Year

7. Kindergarten In MVUSD • Each kindergarten teacher has two sessions—Early Birds and Late Birds • This will allow teachers to have a smaller class size in the morning and in the afternoon, with a small overlap with all students • TK and Kindergarten will have different curriculum—Big Day for TK and Open Court/Houghton Mifflin Math for Kindergarten **Transitional Kindergarten classes will take place during the Early Bird Sessions

8. Kindergarten Readiness In order for us to help determine the best placement for your child as an early bird or late bird, we will be scheduling a time for you to bring your child to the site to meet with the kindergarten teachers. At this time we will be looking at your child’s kindergarten readiness.

9. Kindergarten Resources • Kindergarten Readiness Calendar • Common Core Parent Roadmap • Summer Readiness Packet (available upon request) • Packet containing concepts and activities to work on at home. • It also includes social and academic skill practice

10. Alphabet Skills • Exposure to letters: (Expose to lowercase letters before uppercase letters!) • New and improved ABC song • Start slow • Experience is the goal, not mastery . . yet • Keep it fun!

11. Phonemic Awareness • Exposure to oral language • Rhyming skills • Play with words and language • Dr. Seuss and other rhyming books

12. Read, Read, and Read Some More • Reading with your child is SO IMPORTANT! • Discuss stories (predict what will happen next, ask questions, talk about the story and pictures) • Remember that re-reading the same book is OK • Visit the library on a regular basis Murrieta Public Library Eight Town Square Murrieta, CA 92562 Phone: (951) 304-BOOK

13. Oral Language Development • Talk to your child : Ask them questions about their day. Who did you play with? What did you do? Help them answer in complete sentences, i.e. I played with Joey and Susie today in the backyard. • When reading – have them retell the story or a part of it – using as much detail as you pull from them. Ask questions to get them to add more details, i.e. where was the cat?

14. Writing Skills • Correct pencil grip • Correct formation of letters and numbers (form letters from top to bottom) • Awareness of using lines • Writing first name correctly

15. Tracing and Cutting Skills • Use correct pencil and scissor grip • Provide child-size scissors • Teach to cut away from the body

16. Number Knowledge • Recognizing and write numerals (0-20) • Counts to 100 by ones and tens • Rote counting vs. counting objects

17. Colors and Shapes • 10 basic colors and 4 basic shapes • Real world experiences

18. Social Development • Your child should be able to.. • interact with other children • take direction from adults other than parents • Focus on an activity for at least 10 minutes • Have a positive attitude about school • Make a non-tearful break from parents • Handle bathroom activities by him/herself

19. This Summer • Use Summer Readiness Packet/ • Kindergarten Readiness Calendar • Discuss school in a positive manner • Implement appropriate school schedules • Attend Kindergarten Orientation at your school

20. The First Day of Kindergarten • Be sure to follow the school bedtime plan you began during the summer • Try to have a relaxing morning - Be prepared • Smile and say “Have a great day! I’ll see you soon!” • Hold back your tears

21. We’ll see you when school starts! • This summer will go by very quickly! You will continue to be amazed at your child’s growth and progress. • Thank you for coming tonight. You have made an important step in creating a partnership with your child’s school that will ensure his/her success.