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Teacher urges support for Transitional Kindergarten, citing social-emotional and dual-language gains
Summary
A teacher with more than 25 years of experience urged support for Transitional Kindergarten, saying play-based TK builds social-emotional skills, motor development and bilingual ability that help children succeed academically.
A teacher who said she has taught for more than 25 years urged support for Transitional Kindergarten (TK), saying it helps children develop the social, emotional and motor skills they need for later academic success.
The speaker described how TK classrooms use play to teach emotional regulation and social skills. "So what's great about the TK program is they're getting a lot of social emotional learning," the teacher said, adding that play situations teach children to take turns and manage frustration. She said those lessons make it easier for children to engage in academics once they reach elementary grades.
The teacher gave a classroom example of learning during play: when children share blocks and count how many remain, they practice early numeracy in a low-pressure setting. "During an activity, if they're doing blocks, like, how many blocks are you using? If you're using blocks, you gave 2 to your friend, how many would you have left?" the teacher said, illustrating how play can be structured as a learning activity.
She also highlighted the district's dual-language program, saying students "are able to acquire even 2 languages or more" and that she sees children transfer between English and Spanish as evidence of growth. The teacher said that experience is a reason she teaches TK and recommends the program to support language development alongside social-emotional learning.
The testimony closed with a broader endorsement of early, developmentally appropriate schooling. "I firmly believe in the program, and that is the reason why I'm teaching TK," she said, adding that earlier entry into a suitable school setting helps children grow and "become very successful in the future."
