It used to be that if your child was not five years old by the time kindergarten started, you had to wait and enroll him/her the following year. Many parents were rightfully frustrated with this rule seeing as many children’s birthdays were only short a month or two. Parents fought for years with school districts all over California to get their children a fair shot at early education. Well, it turns out that our prayers were answered, here enters the start of transitional kindergarten.

For those of you who are not aware, transitional kindergarten or “TK”, is an exciting educational opportunity for children who turn five between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2. It is the first phase of a two-year Pre-Kindergarten program that uses appropriate teaching methods and curriculum for those children who are too young for kindergarten. In a study done by American Institutes for Research, TK was shown to improve a child’s literacy, mathematical skills, and executive functions. The study showed that students who were enrolled in TK were better prepared when it came time for kindergarten.

So, I took the time to do some research for all my fellow parents out there. I am sure that some of you are wondering what options you have when it comes time to enroll your little one in school. Here is one of the best websites I came across on Transitional Kindergarten, http://www.tkcalifornia.org, I found it extremely helpful. It turns out that quite a few school districts in the Inland Empire now offer Transitional Kindergarten, I have listed the biggest districts for each county below.
I have attached links for each of the main school district pages. These links will take you straight to the information you need for transitional kindergarten in your child’s specific district. If you take a look, most district websites include online enrollment packages for TK, as well as, several contact numbers to help you along the way.

As a parent, it’s always comforting to know that the city you live in has great educational options for your children. We all know that early education is vital in our child’s life, but we don’t always know where to go for help. I encourage all parents with children that are just about ready for school to do some research of your own. Even if it’s just taking to Google like I did and searching the words ‘transitional kindergarten’, take the time to get some answers for yourself. Call your local school district, and get all of your questions and concerns answered. Trust me, it’s worth it, knowledge is power!

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Danielle Mejia

Danielle Mejia was born and raised in the Inland Empire and now resides in San Bernardino. She attended private school in San Bernardino from Kindergarten to 12th grade and attended college at California State University San Bernardino. Danielle has worked for the County of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino City Unified School District over the past 8 years. She is a new mother to a 3 month old baby girl and is here to share her experiences and perspective, as a Latina woman and as a 27 year- old mother of 1 living in the Inland Empire.

Latest posts by Danielle Mejia (see all)

• Escuelas Charter: Beneficiosas o Perjudican? - October 2, 2017
• Charter Schools: Beneficial or Detrimental? - September 25, 2017
• Las Tasas de Graduación en las Escuelas Preparatorias están en Aumento en el Condado de San Bernardino - September 20, 2017
• High School Graduation Rates on the Rise in San Bernardino County - September 11, 2017
• Beneficios del Kindergarten de Transición - April 21, 2017