What is TK?

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is the first year in a two-year Kindergarten program. Designed especially for four-year-olds, it will help prepare children to succeed in school, while also giving them an opportunity to meet new friends and provide care while parents work. 

When can my child enroll in TK?

For the 2025-26: All kids who turn 4 by September 1st

Is TK required?

No, like Kindergarten, TK is optional in California. Parents may choose to enroll their child if they think the program will benefit their child and family. 

Benefits of TK

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) bridges the path between preschool and Kindergarten and gives students the gift of time that will help them build a strong foundation for future school success. It blends social and emotional experiences with academic learning, so that students not only learn essential pre-literacy, pre-math, and other cognitive skills, but also develop social and self-regulation skills needed to succeed in school and life.

History of TK

In 2010, California implemented the Kindergarten Readiness Act. The Kindergarten Readiness Act changed the Kindergarten entry date from December 2nd to September 1st so that most children are five when they start Kindergarten. The law also established Transitional Kindergarten (TK), a developmentally appropriate grade to serve our youngest learners with birthdays between September and December.

TK is a win-win-win for children, families, and schools! With TK:

• Children are better prepared to succeed.
• Families have an additional option to ensure their children enter Kindergarten with the maturity, confidence, and skills they need to excel.
• Schools benefit because children will be better prepared to succeed academically and less likely to be placed in special education or held back in later grades.

What qualifications do TK teachers have? 

All TK classes must be staffed by at least one teacher who has both a multi subject teaching credential (required for Elementary School teaching) along with a specialized teaching credential in early childhood education.

Is TK half-day or full-day?

TK at Holy Family is a full day. The day begins at 8am and students are dismissed at 2:50pm. 

What do children learn in TK?

TK is based on a developmentally appropriate, play-based curriculum that allows children to be active and have fun while learning important skills for reading, writing, mathematics, and social-emotional skills such as learning to listen to directions and take turns. TK classrooms follow the guidance provided in the California Preschool Learning Foundations, which will be updated to reflect the addition of younger children to TK over the next several years. You can check out our Teachers page to get an idea of what teachers do in a typical TK class.

TK instruction is…

Integrated

In the early years, children learn through hands-on experience and benefit from many opportunities for practice. They strive to make connections between all the new ideas and information they are learning. The most successful teachers make a deliberate effort to reinforce connections by explicitly relating topics and incorporating rich themes into their lesson plans. Throughout each day, TK teachers integrate math, language and literacy development, social-emotional skills, and English language development.

For example, TK teachers plan lessons that allow young children to:

• Absorb new vocabulary while they explore math concepts.
• Practice turn-taking and cooperation while they persist through a sorting activity.
• Rhyme and learn alliteration in songs and chants involving science.
• Learn new academic English through meaningful play, explicit instruction, and contextualized personalized learning.