There is a lot of learning that happens for a child before they ever step foot into a kindergarten classroom. Kids learn from their parents, their neighbors, adults and students at their daycare or preschool, and pretty much anyone else they cross paths with. Little learners are soaking up knowledge all the time, even when they are playing, dealing with their emotions, or trying something new.
At Empower Language Academy, 4 year olds have the opportunity to learn and grow in a variety of areas. Whether it’s learning to share with others, exploring different concepts, or building the confidence to be ready for kindergarten, Empower’s youngest learners do it all. Oh, and they also do it all in Spanish!
The state of California has been instrumental in expanding Transitional Kindergarten (TK), a specialized preschool program for 4-year-old children offered at public schools. With strong expansion since it was initially established in 2012, TK is all about bringing opportunities for a strong start to education for those students who are just a bit too young for kindergarten.
At Empower, TK students get to participate in a hands-on play-based curriculum that is more about the development of social and emotional learning than academics, but thanks to the additional component of having instruction be in Spanish, there is incredible learning happening. As an extra benefit to families, Empower offers a half and full-day option to choose from.
Teacher Alfonsina (Fina) Medellín has been part of the Empower team going back 12 years, starting by helping in the cafeteria and supervising recess, becoming a substitute teacher, and earning her teaching credential in 2019.
“We are really bridging the gap between PreK and kindergarten with options for families and a one to 10 student to teacher ratio,” said Medellín. “Our students are so fun and they get to be exposed to other languages and cultures while having fun.”
Part of that fun happens through daily centers which change often. Students are able to rotate to different activities like thematic art, blocks, phonics, and others which are all based in the act of play. Teachers pull students aside for one-on-one or small group instruction focused on learning the fundamentals of the Spanish language starting with different letters, and learning what starts with that letter, and before long students who may have never spoken Spanish before are starting to get the hang of it.
“A lot of traditional TK programs have basically tried to take kindergarten and just do that earlier but it needs a very specific program designed for a very specific age group,” said Executive Director Demi Brown. “We worked to design a play-based program that is really specific to TK which is designed to the needs of 4 year olds with many concepts similar to a Montessori-style curriculum.”
In order to be eligible for TK, students need to be 4 years old by Sept. 1. Each day starts with circle time where the class will sing some Spanish songs, discuss the calendar (all in Spanish) and begin the day’s activities. Thanks to the holistic whole-child approach at Empower including CrossFit Kids, the school garden, and other activities, even the youngest learners partake in experiences that they may not otherwise be able to. The TK teaching team also works closely with kindergarten teachers to make sure that students are not only ready for kindergarten, but can enter the classroom confidently with a strong foundation in both English and Spanish.
“We try to speak Spanish all day long and really create that sense of immersion and belonging,” said Medellín. “I really like the program because they get to play, they get to learn using their hands, and we are able to change the themes or activities based on what they like.”
Individualized learning is a big part of TK at Empower where students get to explore different countries and cultures through crafts, music, food, and more. While the main focus is creating an environment where the young learners feel supported, safe, and (dare we say) empowered to bring their true selves to the class, they are also reaching academic milestones like learning letters and sounds, how to write their name, counting, and of course speaking a language that may be different than what they speak at home.
“It has always been my dream to be a teacher and I really didn’t want my students to lose their connection to the Spanish language and their culture,” said Medellín. “We have a great mixture of cultures here and really represent the Linda Vista community. Even if it’s something as simple as kids asking to go to the bathroom in Spanish, seeing that learning at this age is incredible.”