A Brave New Start for TK & Kinder Students
A new school year means new experiences for El Monte City School District’s TK & Kinder Readiness Academy students. The transition from home to school is a significant step in a child’s life that can be filled with nervousness or anxiety, but for many EMCSD TK & Kinder students this year, excitement and curiosity replace the fears.
EMCSD’s TK Kinder Readiness Program is meant to prepare students for their first full school experience and introduce curriculum. “The program is great and it gets them excited about school!” said Linda Wang, a parent of two students in the TK Kinder Readiness program. “My son is shy and was nervous coming from preschool, but now he is so excited for Kindergarten.”
TK & Kinder Readiness is a no-cost learning experience designed to be an accessible opportunity for everyone. It accommodates different learning styles and fosters student and family engagement. By providing activities that target different areas, this program helps both students and parents become more familiar with concepts that will be introduced. This encourages families to actively participate in the start of their child’s educational journey. “We’ve tried some activities at home and it has encouraged me to look for more activities. It got my son to look forward to what will be expected when he started school,” said Lourdes Villalobos, parent of a son in the program.
The program encompasses a wide variety of topics, including alphabet knowledge, cognitive development, creativity, numbers and mathematics, nursery rhymes, early reading skills, social-emotional well-being, science concepts and so much more. Each week the program focuses on a different subject and learning style. "Some of the activities provided were things I would have never thought of doing, had never seen before, or didn't know how to bring to life. It's been very helpful because many of them turned out to be much easier than I had imagined." said Ms. Villalobos.
To ensure each student can be successful, every child enrolled received all the supplies needed to complete the program including an iPad and an internet hotspot. This program also provides a level of support and opportunities for parents to network with teachers, students, and fellow parents, building a foundation for community and family involvement and connecting them to the school system. “This has given me more confidence because I now know what I need to focus on to help them better in Kindergarten, " expressed Ms. Wang. These interactions foster strong familial bonds and encourage active participation in a child's education, laying the groundwork for ongoing success and growth.
This program has shown much success and as a recognition of its impactful work, the program received the Golden Bell Award in 2023 in the Early Childhood Education category. “This program has been great to guide us as parents to help our students get ready for school and be involved in this journey, " said Ms. Villalobos. “I would definitely recommend this program. It is such a great resource and there is nothing to lose, only something to gain.”
