How crayons, paint and play are foundational to learning in transitional kindergarten

In California, by 2025-26 all 4-year-olds will be eligible for universal TK. Many districts have already enacted the program, including the Los Angeles school system. Many parents are unsure if they should send their 4-year-old to a full day school program and are wondering, “What will my child do at school? What are they actually learning?”

All students must be 4 by September 1 to be eligible for universal TK, which means they can actually start in August as a 3-year-old! Not all schools are offering a program for the younger students, but there are many available throughout LAUSD. The traditional TK program is for children turning 5 between September 2 through June 2. The new addition is the younger children who turn 5 between June 3-Sept. 1.

This is what my UTK students will be doing and learning in the upcoming school year. They will learn foundational skills for school, such as how to stand and walk in a line, how to hold a pencil or scissors, how to use materials properly, such as glue, crayons, markers, etc.

This is probably their first school experience and they will need these skills and many more! They will learn through play, by singing songs about colors, numbers, letters, etc. We use a variety of materials, such as Play-Doh, clay, paint, beads, etc., to build fine motor skills and hand strength, as well as lots of PE activities to work on gross motor development. We focus on social-emotional learning, articulating their wants and needs and cooperative play. Learning to take turns, share and play fair are crucial skills for future success. And yes, your child will learn to read, recognize and write their name, learn colors, shapes, numbers, letters and much more! By the end of the year, they should be well prepared for kindergarten!