Mission Basilica School Transitional Kindergarten Curriculum

What is Transitional Kindergarten?

•Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is the first part of a two-year kindergarten program that provides a full-day academic experience for students turning five-years old between September and December. TK bridges the preschool and kindergarten programs for children in this age range.

•When Senate Bill 1381 passed, it changed the age at which children may enter kindergarten. Children must now be five-years old on or before September 1 to enroll in kindergarten

Why Transitional Kindergarten:

•TK provides students with a faith-based learning environment that nurtures students physically, socially, emotionally, academically, and spiritually.

•TK offers children a rigorous, interactive learning experience that is aligned to the California Preschool Learning Foundations

•Research shows that children who attend a quality kindergarten readiness program, including TK, are more likely to succeed in school and attend college.

Curriculum

•Aligned to the California Preschool Learning Foundations

•Differentiated instruction using CAST’s Universal Design for Learning

•Pearson’s OWL Curriculum (Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Social/Emotional Skills, and more.

Religion/Christian Service

•Alleluia by My Sunday Visitor (TK Edition)

•Liturgical and communal prayer

•On-going Christian service projects

•Weekly Mass

Physical Education

•Class 2x a week

•Fundamental movement skills

•Manipulative skills

•Perceptual-motor skills and movement concepts

•Active physical play

Health

•Basic hygiene

•Knowledge of wellness

•Sun Safety

•Injury prevention

•Nutrition

Mathematics

•Number sense

•Algebra and functions (classification and patterning)

•Measurement

•Geometry

•Mathematical reasoning

•Hands-on activities

•Tiered groupings

Language Arts

•Language use and conventions

•Vocabulary

•Grammar

•Concepts about print

•Phonological awareness

•Alphabetics and word/print recognition

•Comprehension and analysis of age-appropriate text

•Literacy interest and response

•Writing strategies

•Tiered groupings

•Interactive reading

Social Studies

•Culture and diversity

•Relationships

•Social roles and occupations

•Skills for democratic participation

•Responsible conduct

•Fairness and respect for others

•Conflict resolution

•Sense of time (history)

•Anticipating and planning future events

•Personal history

•Historical changes in people and the world

•Sense of place (geography and ecology)

•Caring for the natural world

•Understanding the physical world through drawings and maps

•Marketplace (economics)

Science

•Observation and investigation

•Documentation and communication

•Properties and characteristics of nonliving objects and materials

•Changes in nonliving objects and materials

•Properties and characteristics of living things

•Changes in living things

•Properties and characteristics of earth materials and objects

•Changes in the earth

Visual and Performing Arts

•Art, Music, and Drama are integrated with Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Religion

Art Class

•Once a week

Music Class

•Twice a week

Spanish Class

•Once a week

•Vocabulary, colors, objects, numbers, songs, phrases

Extra-Curricular Opportunities

•Extended Daycare

•Kiddy Keys

•Mini Kickers

•Reading Rascals

•Piano