T2K Curriculum

The Pleasant Valley Transition to Kindergarten program uses the Iowa Early Learning Standards as the foundation for its instruction. Creative Curriculum® provides the framework for the curriculum. It is designed for early childhood programs serving children ages 3-5. It rests on a firm foundation of research and responds to new requirements for addressing academic content. Teaching Strategies GOLD™ Objectives for Development and Learning are used to document student skill development and growth during the school year. Assessments are completed by observing students during class activities. Parents will receive a progress report at fall and winter conferences and at the end of the school year.

The purpose of Transition to Kindergarten is to cultivate the skills needed for kindergarten through small group and individual instruction. The daily schedule provides a balance of activities. Free choice centers allow the children to explore, create and learn in centers like writing, housekeeping, blocks, puzzles and games or art. Large group instruction is used to teach literacy skills through reading and retelling stories, as well as science and social studies skills through experiments, social skills instruction and class discussions. Small group instructional activities provide opportunities to develop fine motor and pre-writing skills like assembling puzzles and drawing recognizable pictures; math skills like counting, recognizing numerals and measurement; and literacy skills like letter recognition, recognizing rhyme and connecting letters with sounds.

While T2K students attend school for a full day, like other elementary students, they do not participate in specials classes. The classroom teacher will provide music, physical activity, art, and library time.