Preschool - Transitional Kindergarten

Transitional Kindergarten or TK as sometimes referred, acts as a bridge between Preschool and Kindergarten programs. It is an ideal program for children who are young fives (five years of age by October 16th) or might need another year to develop socially or academically before moving on to a kindergarten program. Children in transitional kindergarten will strive toward similar goals as to those of the kindergarten program, but will work at a modified pace, which provides more one on one and lower ratios.

The decision to enroll a child in Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten is that of the parents. Each parent must make his or her own decision about what is best for the child, based on a variety of factors such as emotional and academic readiness, social skills, and attention span. As the kindergarten experience becomes more challenging for kids, the availability of transitional kindergarten programs becomes more important. With careful attention to a child's individual needs, parents, working along with educators, can determine whether taking extra time for the educational journey will be an appropriate option.

Transitional kindergarten is not just another year of preschool. Our program is designed to give children the skills they will need to tackle the challenges they will face in kindergarten.

There are three main differences between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten (K):

1. The Children in TK and K are at different levels socially, emotionally, and academically and the skills and work given in both levels will reflect this.

2. Children in K are expected to have longer attention spans and greater ability to concentrate than children in TK.

3. TK places more emphasis on one-to-one attention, while emphasis is placed more on group settings and group work in K.

Criteria for Emmanuel's TK Program:

1. Meets age requirement (5 years old by October 16th).

2. Parent's desire.

3. Teacher Recommendation.

4. Completion of a 4-year old program.