TK & Kindergarten Readiness

Transitional

Kindergarten Readiness

Welcome to the Transitional Kindergarten class at St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School!

Transitional Kindergarten, TK, is the beginning of your child’s elementary journey! It is our mission to nurture the whole child, spiritually, academically, emotionally, and socially as they grow. TK is a wonderful opportunity for students to acquire academic confidence before entering Kindergarten. This bonus academic year is also a gift of time for students who need more time maturing socially and emotionally. TK is a bridge from Pre-K to Kindergarten, and we recommend that students have preschool experience prior to entering TK. It is our mission to help your child build a foundation that will foster a love for learning to carry them through each grade year and beyond.

TK Age

Per the Sacramento Diocese, students must be 4 years old by the start of the school year and turn 5 within the year. Students who turn 5 years old in June, July, or August, are also eligible for Transitional Kindergarten.

TK Curriculum

Our curriculum is a blend of preschool based social & emotional development with modified age appropriate Common Core Kindergarten State Standards that are taught through 4 IB units of inquiry.

What academic skills should my child have before Transitional kindergarten? In order to show TK readiness, your child should be able to:

recognize and name basic shapes: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle
recognize and name numbers 0-5, even when they are out of order
count to 10
count 10 objects, pointing to each one as they count
say or sing the alphabet
recognize many of the capital letters of the alphabet
identify colors in an 8-ct crayon pack
recognize & know the letters in order of their first name
write their first name (it doesn’t have to look perfect!)
sort items by size, color, or shape
hold a book and turn pages
identify some letter sound

What other things (non-academic) does my child need to know how to do before kindergarten? Your child should be able to:

put on their coat and zip it up
Put on their shoes independently
take turns and share
sit quietly and listen
follow simple directions
use the bathroom by themselves (including zipping and buttoning pants, and privacy rules!)
put on their backpack
hold a pencil or crayon with tripod grip
cut with scissors
put things away
wash their hands with soap
use a tissue to wipe their nose
cough into their elbow
stand in line
drink from a drinking fountain
raise their hand and wait to be called on
open any food containers in their lunch or be able to ask for help

Some extra things parents can do to get their child ready for TK:

Teach kindness & respect (for rules, property, and people).
Do activities at home where prekinders have to listen without interrupting, take turns, focus on the same activity for 15 minutes, use manners, etc.
Read, read, read and read some more!
Give them opportunities to play with other children.
Give them some responsibilities and teach them to follow through.
Teach nursery rhymes and songs.
Give them chances to be away from home and family so they feel comfortable and confident when they come to school.
Give them opportunities to be independent!

"We could not be happier with our choice to send our daughters to St. Francis Elementary. The community is warm and welcoming, and the teachers and staff are committed to fostering academic excellence and spiritual growth for every student. For our family, a robust performing arts program was essential, and we love how the arts are woven into the academic and co-curricular school day with Ms. Stites' music classes and in-class theatre performances. Principal Hrga knows each child by name, as do all the faculty and staff members, and they work together as a team to provide a holistic education that recognizes the individualism of each child. My children feel safe and loved at school, even in the midst of the pandemic, which for us as parents is invaluable. We are so thankful to have found this wonderful school community", Keira - December 2020 (Parent of a 1st grader and a 4th Grader)

Kindergarten Readiness

Kindergarten Curriculum: Scholastic Reading Program, Envision Math, Common Core Standards taught through 4 IB units of inquiry.

What academic skills should my child have before kindergarten? In order to show kindergarten readiness, your child should be able to:

recognize and name basic shapes: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle
recognize and name numbers 1-10, even when they are out of order
count to 20
count 10 objects, pointing to each one as they counts
say or sing the alphabet
recognize most of the letters of the alphabet, both uppercase and lowercase (even out of order)
identify colors in an 8-ct crayon pack
recognize their first name
write their first name
sort items by size, color, or shape
hold a book and turn pages
tell if two words rhyme
identify some letter sounds

A child doesn’t need to be reading before kindergarten (and most kids aren’t), but they should be read to regularly. Teaching nursery rhymes is a great way to get kids reading-ready: knowing how to rhyme is HUGE when it comes to learning how to read.

What other things (non-academic) does my child need to know how to do before kindergarten? Your child should be able to:

put on their coat and zip it up
tie their shoes
take turns and share
sit quietly and listen
follow simple directions
use the bathroom by themselves (including zipping and buttoning pants)
put on their backpack
hold a pencil or crayon
cut with scissors
put things away
hang their backpack on a hook
wash their hands with soap
use a tissue to wipe his nose
cough into their elbow
stand in line
drink from a drinking fountain
raise their hand and wait to be called on
open any food containers in their lunch

Some extra things parents can do to get their child ready for Kindergarten:

Teach kindness & respect (for rules, property, and people).
Do activities at home where pre-kinders have to listen without interrupting, take turns, focus on the same activity for 15 minutes, use manners, etc.
Read! Teach them how to hold book, how to turn pages, etc.
Give them opportunities to play with other children.
Give them some responsibilities and teach them to follow through.
Teach nursery rhymes and songs.
Give them chances to be away from home and family so they feel comfortable and confident when they come to school.

INQUIRIES