http://www.tkcalifornia.org/about-us.

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About the Project
Early Edge California (formerly Preschool California) and a panel of experts have worked together to develop TKCalifornia to serve the needs of teachers and administrators as they implement transitional kindergarten. TKCalifornia is the result of a content creation and a review process led by 20 experts from across the state, including local school districts, county offices of education, researchers and state-level decision makers. Their expertise spans the areas of language and literacy development, early math, social emotional development and executive function, culturally responsive education and dual language acquisition. The content and materials on this site are based upon the following key agreements and recommendations identified by our experts as critical to TK students learning:
reflecting the continuum of development of all children, recognizing the breadth of their experience, and meeting them where they are to help them advance; fostering warm, responsive relationships; supporting family involvement; offering examples of good teaching; providing concrete guidance for teachers by showing how to sequence instruction and presenting easy-to-use resources; helping teachers understand the use of formative assessment; supporting teachers in differentiating instruction; articulating with preschool and kindergarten; focusing on the essential strands for teachers to build the foundation for kindergarten success; and

providing integrated learning and instruction. Members of our expert planning and advisory committees, and other leaders who contributed, include:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Barbara Blakely, retired transitional kindergarten teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District Shirley Esau, Principal, Washington Elementary, Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District Dr. Linda Espinosa, retired Early Childhood Education Professor and Dual Language Learner Researcher and Consultant Elia Garcia, Santa Clara County Office of Education, Early Learning Services Sylvia Gonzalez, Director of Early Childhood Education, San Diego Unified School District Dave Gordon, Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools Wilma Hashimoto, Associate Director Early Care and Education/Local Planning Council, Fresno County Office of Education

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Whit Hayslip, Early Childhood Education Consultant and former Assistant Superintendent of Early Childhood Education, Los Angeles Unified School District Dr. Lisa Kaufman, Director of Early Learning Services, Santa Clara County Office of Education Camille Maben, Division Director, California Department of Education, Child Development Division Elizabeth Magruder, Early Childhood Education consultant and teacher Peter Mangione, Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies, WestEd Dr. Carola Matera, Assistant Professor, California State University Channel Islands Dr. Linda Platas, Program Officer, Heising-Simons Foundation Cheri Reaves, Consultant, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Janis Shinmei, Program Coordinator, Early Childhood Education, Los Angeles Unified School District Christopher Steinhauser, Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Deborah Stipek, Professor, School of Education, Stanford University Gary Waddell, Deputy Superintendent, Instructional Services, San Mateo County Office of Education Joyce Wright, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Support Services, Sacramento County Office of Education

The process and meetings were facilitated by Vickie Ramos, Deputy Field Director, Preschool California; Hedy Andersson, Field Coordinator, Preschool California; and Susan True, Executive Director, First 5 Santa Cruz. TKCalifornia is operated and maintained by Early Edge California, a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization that is working to increase access to early learning opportunities for all of Californias children, starting with those who need it most. Early Edge California is proud to have sponsored Senate Bill 1381 by Senator Joe Simitian, which changed the kindergarten entry date and created transitional kindergarten, giving our youngest kindergarteners a head start that will yield significant payoffs in future academic success. This project was created in 2012 and continues to expand and grow. For more information about the expert planning and advisory committees, leaders who contributed, and facilitators involved with Early Edge California (formerly Preschool California), please contact Hedy Andersson at handersson@earlyedgecalifornia.org. TKCalifornia will continue to be fine tuned and developed over time, and Early Edge California looks forward to connecting with educators and implementers in the field to provide updated, high-quality resources to support TK implementation. The development of this website was supported by the Heising-Simons Foundation, a family foundation dedicated to sustainable, research-based solutions in education, science, and policy.

Social-Emotional Teaching Strategies

Roleof the Teacher

You can promote social-emotional development in your classroom by embedding your teaching practices throughout the day. Remaining sensitive to childrens needs helps them feel secure and confident, and acts as a model for effective social behavior. For example, asking questions to help children find a solution to a social conflict helps them develop problem-solving skills. Reading a story and engaging children in a conversation about a socially challenging situation can also serve as a lesson in handling social problems as well as in literacy. Be Attentiveto EachChildsNeeds - Be attentive to the social-emotional skills and needs of each unique child so you can respond with lessons and interventions tailored to help every child develop their skills. Your attention and presence as a teacher can be a pillar of confidence for children who are dealing with stressful life circumstances. Letting children know that you are there to help will build childrens trust that you are a source of guidance. Keep in mind that children who are English language learners may need additional support to feel secure and self-assured in a learning environment that is responsive to their needs. Early EmotionalExperiencesMatter - Recognize that the emotional domain is foundational to all other developmental domains. If children start school in an emotionally supportive environment, they will acquire the love of learning necessary for success in all areas of school. As young children develop, their early emotional experiences literally become embedded in the architecture of their brains, therefore great care should be given to childrens emotional needs, according to the NationalScientificCouncilon the DevelopingChild . If you seek childrens opinions, allow children to initiate activities and are flexible about responding to childrens ideas, youll build childrens feelings that they are competent and respected, and at the same time motivate their desire to learn. PromotingConsistentStructurewith Play - Providing your transitional kindergarteners with consistent structures and expectations about appropriate behavior through play activities helps them remember and follow classroom norms, and behave in ways that are conducive to learning. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Play is integral to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive development. Creating routines of fun and meaningful activities such as songs, chants and games can minimize problems or stress during challenging times, such as when children wait in line or during transitions.

BuildingRelationalCapacityand Importanceof Close Relationships

Positive relationships with peers and adults - including parents and teachers - are key to childrens social-emotional development. First, they make school a comfortable, secure safe place where children can focus on learning. Second, mutual, caring relationships provide opportunities for children to develop and practice important social skills. PositiveandConsistentRelationships- Social-emotional development is supported through positive and consistent relationships among teachers and children. Try going beyond expectations of compliance with school rules, and support social-emotional development by crafting a positive, emotionally supportive climate in the classroom that skillfully connects new experiences with childrens unique home experiences. According to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Children who develop warm, positive relationships with their [TK] teachers are

more excited about learning, more positive about coming to school, more self-confident, and achieve more in the classroom.

Children are more likely to develop positive relationships when teachers:

model appropriate social behaviors; provide opportunities for them to develop new social-emotional skills; give explicit guidance; offer curriculum that is engaging and relevant to childrens lives and cultures; engage with parents in a two-way relationship to build childrens social-emotional skills; and reflect an ethic of caring and nurturing.

Specific examples of productive teacher behaviors include:

showing respect and valuing childrens cultural and language backgrounds; modeling the polite use of language and encouraging children to imitate your behavior; encouraging empathic thinking with questions such as, Why do you think he is crying?; promoting childrens confidence and development of new skills by engaging them in problem solving, for example by asking, Can you think of a way to help you remember to wait for your turn?; and attending to signs of personal trauma and providing additional support to children who are experiencing unusual stress in their lives.

SevenSocial-EmotionalTeachingStrategies
The teaching strategies below give concrete approaches for promoting social-emotional development in your classroom. They are designed to guide developmentally appropriate TK instruction, moving your students along a continuum of learning by bridging the PreschoolLearning Foundationswith the KindergartenCommonCore . Click through to view all seven. Strategy1: Relationships and Social Interactions with Peers Strategy2: Social and Emotional Understanding Strategy3: Conflict Negotiation (Problem Solving) Strategy4: Child Regulates Emotions and Behaviors Strategy5: Engagement and Persistence Strategy6: Responsible Conduct Strategy7: Integrated Approaches for English Language Development and Family Engagement

Strategy1: Relationshipsand Social Interactionswith Peers

Competency:Childinteractscompetentlyandcooperativelywith other childrenanddevelopsfriendshipswithseveralpeers (corresponds with DRDPSR Measure 8)

ExploringCompetencies

BuildingCompetencies

Embedin context

Ask a child who has grabbed a toy from another to "use Read a story about a child whose best friend has his words" to let a classmate know what he wants, offering moved away, and ask children to share ideas of simple words to help articulate their feelings, such as "My things they could do to comfort the child. turn, please."

While reading, point to the child's face in the story or use a picture card to show how the child is feeling "sad," and encourage your students to draw pictures and/or write words that reflect their feelings.

Model

Tell a child gently and respectfully that you would like Show an interest in your students' lives him to put his hands in his lap rather than on the child next outside of school, for example having a to him. To support language understanding, model conversation about what they did over the behavior and encourage the student to mimic your weekend. behavior, by saying, "I will put my hands on my lap." Have your students take turns during sharing time. Support language understanding by scaffolding turntaking and saying, for example, "Now it's Nico's turn. Give your students games, such as Chutes and Ladders, that require cooperation.

Giveopportunities for practic

Now it's Ciara's turn."

Strategy2: Social and EmotionalUnderstanding

Competency:Childshowsdevelopingunderstandingof peoplesbehavior,feelings,thoughtsandindividualcharacteristics (corresponds with DRDPSR Measure 9)

ExploringCompetencies

BuildingCompetencies

Embedin context

Ask children to discuss the emotions a child in Ask the child to explain why another child is feeling a story is experiencing. distressed. Comfort a child. Show interest and understanding for a child's feelings. For example, interact by saying "I see that you are sad; is it because your mom had to drop you off early today?" or, "You look frustrated, is it because your tower fell down?"

Model

Giveopportunities for practic e

Lead a game asking children to label emotions Give a chance for Think-Pair-Share during story time, in pictures. Use a familiar song to teach having children pair off to think of something in the feeling words by replacing words with new story that relates to their lives. For example, ask them emotional vocabulary paired with to think about a time they felt the way the character in understandable movements and gestures. the story felt and share the experience with a friend.

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Strategy3: Conflict Negotiation

Competency:Childshowsincreasingunderstandingof the needsof otherchildrenandis increasinglyable to consideralternativesand to negotiate constructively (corresponds with DRDPSR Measure 10)

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Strategy4: Self-Controlof Feelingsand Behavior

Competency:Childincreasinglydevelopsstrategiesfor regulatingfeelingsandbehaviorbasedon adult guidance(corresponds with DRDPSR Measure 12)

ExploringCompetencies

BuildingCompetencies

Embedin context

Help a visibly upset child identify the cause of his Ask a group of children to brainstorm strategies distress and hold him to make him feel secure until he for remembering to keep their hands to is calm. Gently touch the hand of a child who appears themselves during circle time. anxious or reticent about class activities to reassure him or her.

Model

Articulate a strategy you use to regulate your behavior. Identify feelings in a child and articulate a Example: "I'm going to hold my hands together to coping strategy. For example, "I can see that help me remember not to touch any of the paints until Sam is sad, I am going to give Sam our big it's time." fuzzy bear because I think it might make him feel better." In circle time, ask children how they are feeling that
opport day and support new emotional vocabulary by

Give

Give children games to play that require sharing materials and taking turns.

unities for practi ce

incorporating pictures, labels and gestures. Give children opportunities to respond with words or Encourage children to identify their feelings gestures. Respond by combining the emotion word and and scaffold their efforts to develop coping gesture while acknowledging child's feelings. strategies. For example, if a child says that he feels lonely, acknowledge the child's feelings by asking, "What can you do to help you to feel better?"

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Strategy5: EngagementandPersistence
Competency:Childpersistsin understandingandmasteringa self-selectedactivity, evenif it is challengingor difficult(corresponds with DRDPSR Measure 13)

ExploringCompetencies

BuildingCompetencies

Embedin context

Ask a child to articulate his goal in an activity and the first step.

Ask children to articulate their plan and the steps they will take for an art project. Example: "What will you do first? What colors will you use?"

Model

Model completing an activity for children, When giving instructions for an activity, demonstrate explaining each of the steps you took. stringing beads and make an error in your pattern. Point out the mistake and correct it.

Giveopportunities for practice

Give children activities that require at least Give projects that have several steps to completion and two steps (e.g., coloring a picture and require planning, correction and completion. For writing the first letter of their name). example, puzzles, playing a game, an art project and building structures.

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Strategy5: EngagementandPersistence
Competency:Childpersistsin understandingandmasteringa self-selectedactivity, evenif it is challengingor difficult(corresponds with DRDPSR Measure 13)

ExploringCompetencies

BuildingCompetencies

Embedin context

Ask a child to articulate his goal in an activity and the first step.

Ask children to articulate their plan and the steps they will take for an art project. Example: "What will you do first? What colors will you use?"

Model

Model completing an activity for children, When giving instructions for an activity, demonstrate explaining each of the steps you took. stringing beads and make an error in your pattern. Point out the mistake and correct it.

Giveopportunities for practice

Give children activities that require at least Give projects that have several steps to completion and two steps (e.g., coloring a picture and require planning, correction and completion. For writing the first letter of their name). example, puzzles, playing a game, an art project and building structures.

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Strategy6: ResponsibleConduct
Competency:Childdevelopsskill in actingas a responsiblegroupmemberandbehavingin a fair andsociallyacceptablemanner,regulatingbehavior accordingto classroomrules (corresponds with DRDPSR Measure 14)

ExploringCompetencies

BuildingCompetencies

Embedin context

Congratulate the students who listened Scenario: The children are noisy coming in from the to your instructions attentively. playground. Ask the children to brainstorm strategies to remember to keep their voices quiet when they come in from outdoor play.

Model

Speak in a soft voice.

Ensure that every child has a chance to talk.

Giveopportunitiesfor practice

Children take turns distributing snacks There are a pad of paper and pencil in each area with a each day. popular activity; encourage children to create sign-up lists for turn taking.

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Strategy7: IntegratedApproachesfor EnglishLanguageDevelopmentand FamilyEngagement

IntegratedApproach: English Language Development

Focus on simple strategies that support childrens expressive and receptive language skills. By doing so, you can promote social-emotional competence in a way that directly influences their learning and development. Plan for activities where children express their feelings and introduce sentence starters or linguistic frames (e.g. Today, I feel..., I do not like, I need) to support children who are learning to communicate in English.

CollaborativeApproach: Family Engagement

It is important to build strong relationships with families to ensure that the whole family has a positive experience in the school. When a child feels a connection between his home and school, he is bound to feel more connected and safe in both places. Develop partnerships with families and the community, organize family events and develop communication strategies that support a strong dialog around the value of home language and culture in their childs success in school and in life.