RCSD’s Growing TK Program Helps 4-Year-Olds Thrive — Here’s How Parents Can Support the Adventure

Scoop, scoop, scoop. A Transitional Kindergarten student carefully makes space in soil for a tiny seed. Over the course of the next few days and weeks, the student will watch with wide eyes as their efforts take on new life–a green sprout stretching toward the light.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) students at Orion Alternative Elementary School engage in sensory learning at the bin, exploring textures and enhancing hand-eye coordination with materials like rice, water, foam, and sand

Investigating the world around them plants another type of seed for Redwood City School District’s (RCSD) youngest students: the joy of learning.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is a bridge between preschool and kindergarten that will expand to those turning four-years old by September 1, 2025.

The first year of a two-year kindergarten program, the TK curriculum is a blend of California Common Core Kindergarten standards and the CA Preschool Foundations for five-year olds.

Heidi Conti, TK teacher at Orion Alternative, describes the year as a “magical time” where students will participate in many engaging and enriching activities such as exploratory play, circle time, singing, gross and fine motor activities, social emotional lessons, counting, exploring shapes, learning letter names and their sounds, cutting, gluing, drawing, and writing.

“As a former kindergarten teacher, I can truly say that putting your child in TK is one of the best things you can do for them,” said Conti. “They become more familiar with the school setting, learn how to move around a classroom, and learn how to navigate friendships and disagreements. Above all, they learn to love school.”

**Transitional Kindergarten offers a variety of outdoor play experiences that help students develop gross motor skills, improve coordination, and build cooperation through active play**

In the 2025-26 school year, RCSD is expanding its TK program, increasing from 14 to 17 classes. This expansion, supported by a significant investment of approximately $700,000, reflects the district’s commitment to early childhood education and meeting the growing demand from families. As of April 2025, the district has already received an overwhelming response, with approximately 400 applications demonstrating the community’s strong interest and support for this California educational initiative.

Families of rising TK students can help prepare their students for the program in a number of ways–many of which they may already be doing. Some ways to support children getting ready to start TK before the year even begins include:

Social Emotional

Attending library story times to practice sitting down with others in a group
Joining play groups to learn cooperation with other children
Drop-off playdates so that children have practice being away from caregivers
Completing small chores like cleaning up to foster independence

Academic

Reading to your child and talking about the pictures and story with them
Singing the ABCs and practicing writing their name
Offer lots of opportunities to draw and write
Counting aloud (especially into the teens) and counting objects in the home

Motor Skills

Offer lots of opportunities to cut, tape, glue, and use crayons and markers
Encourage your child to use correct hand placement when cutting and proper pencil grip

Conti suggests that, in addition to these skills, you can support your child's transition to school by growing their understanding of their feelings and the feelings of others.

“Practice calm-down strategies like taking belly breaths and positive self-talk,” she said. “Talk about how to solve problems like ways to share toys, negotiate what to play, and what to do if they are having a hard time getting along with others.”

She said that it is important to remember that development can be different from one child to another during early childhood, where children experience huge growth in independence, problem-solving skills, and gross and fine motor development.

TK students in Ms. Conti’s class at Orion Alternative Elementary School spark their creativity and strengthen problem-solving skills as they design and build intricate train track systems through imaginative play

TK teachers know how to meet children where they are at and how to help them gain the skills they need.

“Four and five year olds are naturally curious and excited about learning about their world,” Conti said. “We design and give opportunities for children to explore and discover more about the world around them. We explore the physical world through experiences such as planting, exploring items using our senses, investigating how animals grow and are adapted to their habitats, and exploring how to build different things. We learn about our community and the people near us and others around the world.”

**Ms. Conti’s students become budding scientists through hands-on exploration and by learning to observe, ask questions, and record their discoveries**

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RCSD’s Growing TK Program Helps 4-Year-Olds Thrive — Here’s How Parents Can Support the Adventure

Social Emotional

Academic

Motor Skills

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