Committee focusing on kindergarten transition is making connections

Written by Greenwich Post Staff
Thursday, 02 June 2011 13:14

Earlier this year the Greenwich Transition Committee collaborated with early childhood experts Julie Coakley of Cooperative Education Services and Sue Vivian of the Education Connection to set in motion the delivery of professional learning information sessions, entitled Making Connections for Greenwich’s Kindergartners. The sessions were attended by more than 30 Greenwich public school kindergarten teachers and members of elementary school administration and represented elementary schools across the district.

In Greenwich’s preschools and early child care centers, the growing use of state standards as outlined in the CT Preschool Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks, has been supported by the Greenwich Board of Education and the Greenwich School Readiness Council and has provided a substantial opportunity for enhanced collaboration with the Greenwich Public Schools and receiving kindergarten teachers, according to a press release.

The state frameworks provide a system for using standards in both planning curriculum and assessing children’s progress. The assessment framework outlines children’s learning following well documented sequences, with later abilities, skills, and knowledge building on those already acquired. This enables teachers to plan curriculum that addresses specific learning standards and to observe and assess children’s progress in achieving these standards.

An understanding of how to use the information in the Greenwich Pre-Kindergarten Profile will allow kindergarten teachers to continue the cycle of intentional teaching without interruption. Children who have successful experiences in kindergarten are more likely to have successful experiences moving forward educationally, according to a press release. By providing all children with opportunities to learn foundational skills and concepts in preschool so that they arrive in kindergarten with a growing confidence in their own abilities and are met by teachers who have a good understanding of their current development (areas of both strength and need), the stage has been set for each child’s continued achievement.

Two years ago, the Greenwich School Readiness Council formed a Kindergarten Transition Committee, which has been examining the effectiveness of current kindergarten transition practices in Greenwich. For more information contact MaryAnn Murray, committee chairman, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .