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.
This fall, nearly 200,000 additional four-year-olds across California entered transitional kindergarten (TK), marking a major milestone in the state’s Master Plan for Early Learning and Care. Yet for many school and district leaders, early childhood development and program implementation remain unfamiliar territory. Early TK rollouts vary widely across districts, with small and mid-size districts often facing the greatest challenges. To ensure all children benefit, it is essential that leaders understand how to create effective learning environments for English Learners and other underserved populations.
In response, facilitators from the Bay Area Regional Academy, Oakland Unified School District, and the Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano County Offices of Education are offering a professional learning series for education leaders across the Bay Area. The sessions will highlight how play-based learning not only builds foundational academic and social-emotional skills, but also creates more equitable and accessible classrooms.
Participants will gain a clear picture 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 every student can participate 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