How prepared are our youngest students, coming into kindergarten, to handle a rigorous education? Many 5 and 6 year olds are entering the educational system without a preschool experience or, if they have had prekindergarten, they come with a vast range of experiences. With that in mind, what are the foundational skills young children need to have in order to be proficient or advanced by third grade? What is the role of kindergarten in developing those foundational skills? How do we produce learners who feel successful right from the start and are still able to meet standards or even move beyond them? Through the lens of writing, KINDERGARTEN: A Transitional Year takes an in-depth look at learning across the kindergarten year and how skillful kindergarten teachers adapt their teaching and classrooms to meet the developmental needs of all students. In particular, this book looks at stages of development, assessments, and continuums that support a kindergarten curriculum that is both developmentally appropriate and academically rigorous.
