Students Prepare for Kindergarten this Summer

MOUNT VERNON – Hip, hip hooray! Mount Vernon’s littlest learners are on their way! This summer, the district is offering a four-week program to help young scholars get acclimated to kindergarten before the school year starts.

The Kindergarten Transition Program is designed to support students as they move from Pre-K to kindergarten by building foundational academic, social and behavioral skills in a nurturing and engaging environment.

Through structured routines, early literacy and numeracy experiences, as well as opportunities to build independence, students gain the confidence and readiness needed for a successful start to their elementary school journey.

“It’s like a bridging over experience,” said Caiifa Clark, teaching assistant at Graham School. “They still get to build their skills as they transition into kindergarten, they’re with peers of their own.”

In addition to sharpening academic skills ahead of kindergarten, the program fosters critical social-emotional growth. Interacting with peers from various schools allows young learners to build relationships and create new connections.

“One thing that we did different this year as opposed to previous years, is that they had lunch in the cafeteria,” Ms. Clark explained. “So, they got to transition because in kindergarten you do eat lunch in a cafeteria, as opposed to family style within the classrooms and pre-K. I think that’s a big transitioning step that a lot of parents and teachers overlook when children are going into kindergarten.”

Each week, students are actively learning as they prepare for the next exciting chapter in their lives: starting their educational journeys in the Mount Vernon City School District.