2013 Transitional Kindergarten Implementation Conference

Camille Maben, Executive Director of First 5 California, looks at the differences between traditional and transitional kindergarten. Maben declares that transitional kindergarten makes education hands-on for early learners.

Christopher Steinhauser, Superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District, shares how educators are planning for future success with early education programs.

Elizabeth Magruder, Early Childhood Education Consultant, discusses a child's innate ability to learn. According to Macgruder, children observe and experiment by modeling the actions of adults, and she presents strategies for teachers to nurture language and writing skills in developing children.

Kris Damon, Transitional Kindergarten Coach, shares a powerful example of a Pre-K learning exercise that helps early learners to achieve.

Ross Thompson, professor of psychology at UC Davis, describes the anterior singulate, a part of the brain that controls inhibition, and how studying cognitive development can help teachers better understand their students.

Karen Hayashi demonstrates an inexpensive formative assessment kit that can be used in a transitional kindergarten classroom to evaluate student skills and mastery.

Elizabeth Magruder, Early Childhood Education Consultant, suggests drawing is the first step in learning to read and write for early learners.

Teresa Cooper, Elementary English Language Arts and Math coach, introduces "The Name Game". Cooper believes that the game can be used as a device for teaching beginning literacy in transitional kindergarten.

Mary Seaton, Educational Consultant at New Vistas Consulting, explains how well-rounded support for pre-K initiatives can help reduce stress and improve learning for early learners.

Christie M. Baird, Preschool GLAD Director of the Orange County Department of Education, shares how teachers can enrich their classroom for English learners. Baird believes that teachers must use a child's learned experience as scaffolding to help create meaning.

Linda Platas, Program Officer in Early Math, Heising-Simons Foundation, discusses the findings from a study that proves the importance of early math. Success in early math informs success later on in math and reading ability. 

Early Childhood Education Consultant Whitcomb Hayslip explains why the repetition of song is a powerful learning tool for the development of TK children.