Join us as we explore what purposeful, play-based, inquiry-driven instruction looks like in a TK classroom. Through engaging discussions and classroom observations, we’ll examine how young learners experience rich, hands-on learning that sparks curiosity, nurtures creativity, and builds essential foundational, academic and social skills.
The California Governor’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care recommends the expansion of Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to all four-year-olds by 2025–2026, and seamlessly integrate TK and California State Preschool Programs (CSPP) to make high-quality preschool opportunities equally accessible for young children. However, early childhood development and early education program implementation remain a foreign terrain for many school and district leaders. Currently, there is wide variation in the early implementation of TK among diverse districts to date with small and mid-size districts holding less capacity to implement universal TK (Slovick et. al., 2023). It is crucial that they understand effective learning environments for English Learners and other underserved populations.
To support this initiative, facilitators from the Oakland Unified School District and the Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano County Offices of Education are excited to announce a professional learning opportunity designed to help education leaders across the Bay Area understand how play-based learning not only builds foundational, academic and social-emotional skills but also fosters more equitable and accessible classrooms.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of what purposeful, play-based, inquiry-driven instruction looks like in a TK classroom. They will explore how young children learn best through hands-on experiences that spark curiosity and are intentionally guided by educators to support deeper inquiry. By honoring the diverse ways children learn and ensuring all students can engage meaningfully, this approach promotes inclusive, developmentally appropriate instruction for our youngest learners.
Participants will:
- Develop a deeper understanding of what "play" means in the context of Transitional Kindergarten and its role in supporting learning and development
- Observe play-based, and inquiry-driven TK learning environments to enhance their awareness of effective practices
- Identify common challenges in implementing play-based learning in TK settings and explore strategies to overcome them
- Examine equity considerations within play-based instruction to ensure inclusive and accessible learning environments