Temple Kol Ami (TKA) is rolling out a new option next fall for kids not quite ready for traditional kindergarten. The new class, called K Prep, is a certified-kindergarten program that offers a low student-to-teacher ratio, small-group instruction, a multisensory approach to math and literacy and a social-emotional curriculum that promotes self-regulation and self -advocacy skills.
What’s being hailed as “Kindergarten the TKA way” is something Nicole Stokes, TKA’s early childhood director, has wanted to do for years. When she came to TKA last July, she found just the type of “open landscape that can accommodate and fit the needs of the children we have here,” she told Jewish News.
Stokes has been an educator for 25 years and noted that in her career she’s seen a lot of kids who are not fully prepared for a traditional kindergarten class, where they’re expected to transition to different subject areas every 40 minutes with only two recess sessions plus lunch.
“For the average five year old, that’s not enough time. It can be pretty intense and a lot of families feel like their kiddos aren’t ready for that. This class provides a next step that’s more like a junior kindergarten,” she said. TKA’s staff will offer advice, but the ultimate choice is the parents’. Because it is a certified kindergarten class, parents can apply for first grade or a traditional kindergarten class the following year.
Education doesn’t have to be a straight shot, Stokes said. Every kid’s educational journey can be different depending on what they need.
Many parents assume their child will start with an early childhood education program, then pre-K, then kindergarten with 25-30 students in a classroom, where, even in a private school, there is generally one teacher for every 15 kindergarteners.
“The difference is us being able to provide a kindergarten classroom with a low student-to-teacher ratio, individualized learning and meeting the needs of each of the kids based on their strengths and weaknesses — while in a play-based environment,” she said .
TKA Rabbi Jeremy Schneider is supportive of the program and said he’s proud of Stokes’ vision.
“We are providing something new in the Jewish community, giving parents an alternative option for their children to receive small group instruction in a play-based environment while also helping families set up their kids for academic and social/emotional success,” Schneider told Jewish News.
Stokes offered an example of the difference when it comes to math instructions. In the K-Prep class, there will likely be four math centers in the room and the students will rotate between doing independent centers and working with the teacher on the skill that’s being focused on that day. That way, kids will develop independence at the same time so that the teacher is also able to work strategically with each student. In a traditional classroom, on the other hand, the teacher offers a whole-class approach and teaches one concept to all the students at once.
“They can teach concepts in a hands-on way and with a multisensory approach, depending on how the kids learn. It will be so helpful to provide center-based approaches and small groups — you just don’t see that many places,” she said.
Kindergarten readiness is not what it used to be, according to Nancy Drapin, TKA’s executive director.
“Our new K-Prep program enables a child to hone independent decision-making skills and take responsibility for growing their social and academic learning process, while providing a year of preparation for entering a formal kindergarten program within a Jewish and nurturing environment,” Drapin said.
It’s important to acknowledge how society has changed when thinking about the needs of young students, Stokes said.
“A lot of the kids who are now eligible for kindergarten have spent a year to two years in isolation because of COVID. A lot of their skills aren’t where they would typically need to be to head into an academic kindergarten program and this gives them another year in a small environment.”
“A lot of our families start here in the infant room, and the transition doesn’t have to be so big and scary.”
The Stokes teachers have talked to about the alternative classes are excited to be able to focus on the individual strengths of each student. Additionally, the teacher will have an assistant in the classroom.
“This is like a teacher’s dream,” Stokes said.
Stokes has a master’s degree in early childhood education, and she has a child with reading and writing disabilities. When she learned of her child’s diagnosis, she wanted to know everything she could help.
“Learning about it took me on a new path and I started to apply a lot of that information in my own classroom. I know what it’s like to be in a classroom with 18 kids, feeling like you don’t have enough time to be able to really sit with each one and use the approach that is going to be beneficial for them. When I talked to different teachers about this, they said, ‘Are you kidding me? I love this!’” J.N