Transitional kindergarten at Emerson in Oakland
I am curious to hear about experience with the transitional kindergarten at Emerson and any feedback about studio one for aftercare. Our local school does not have TK and Emerson was on our list in part because it's in between home and work. My child could theoretically stay at preschool so I'm trying to assess whether or not switching for one year is a good idea since he would go as a kindergartner to our local school (I hope!). Any advice/ thoughts are appreciated; he's very active and does well at preschool but has a lot of energy and I've been relieved that he's eligible for TK because I think going to kindergarten right now would be too soon for him.
Mar 14, 2017
Parent Replies
I can't speak to that specific TK program, but my daughter did TK at a different school from the one where she ended up going, and it was totally fine. The TK program was great and she was very ready for kinder. Though she was ahead academically, she was right on track for kindergarten emotionally, so it was good that she basically got 2 years of kindergarten. You know what I'd recommend? See if you can go to that school and meet with the TK teacher. Maybe see the class in action. That's what I did and she was amazing and we ended up having a great experience. Best of luck!
My son is currently in TK at Emerson and is in the same situation - he will go to Kinder at a different school. For us, the decision was pretty clear - he had completely outgrown preschool and needed to move on, but I was really nervous. He's very active, lots of energy and has a hard time sitting still. It's been a big struggle. The social emotional aspects have been very hard, impulse control, keeping his hands to himself, learning how to act in a big school setting. The academic side has been good, and I'm surprised and pleased and how much he is learning. But, all in all - it's really a struggle. It may continue to be a struggle in Kindergarten, but I'm hoping that we are laying the foundation now for better experience in the future. I will say that the TK teacher Mrs. Minor has been great. She is very caring and patient and really has been trying and working with us to get my son in a better spot.
Studio One has been fine, it's certainly convenient. Although I would prefer an afterschool option that was strictly play or sports for my active boy.
Good luck.
I do not have direct experience with TK at Emerson, but my friend's son went to Emerson TK and then moved onto Chabot, which is their zoned Elementary school. My friend's son is also a very energetic child, as most boys are. The parents liked the school alright. It's definitely not fancy and wasn't perfect but there were a lot that they liked about the school. They liked the after school program option there, the teacher was really great. Coming from a play-based preschool where the boy got to run outside and run around almost whenever he wanted to a structured, traditional school setting was a big adjustment. But, the boy did pretty well, made friends, and the parents particularly commented that the TK teacher was amazing. The class size is larger for sure but the parents felt that Emerson TK was very convenient because it was on their way to the BART station and the son got the transitional education he needed and the son was very well prepared for K at Chabot. The son is now a 1st grader at Chabot and is thriving. The parents could have kept the boy at preschool for another year, but they felt that they made the right decision because it made the financial and logistical sense. They also felt that 1 year of TK is a drop in the bucket. They felt that even if it's not 100% the absolute best ideal situation, it's only for a year, so they decided to give Emerson TK a chance and they are glad that they did. (I'm in a similar situation with my child assigned to another TK school that is outside our zone because our neighborhood school doesn't have TK, so I had an extensive conversation about my friend's TK experience. That is why I'm able to share a lot of info.)