River East School - PLAY-BASED TK

KINDERGARTEN-READINESS

At River East School, we know how much parents want to give their children the best start in life. Parents choose RES because of the out-of- this-world early learning environment we cultivate; one where each child is nurtured to be the best version of themselves, one that values social-emotional development as the undergirding of the rest of the life’s journey, which meets each child where they are, and one which respects, honors, and celebrates each child for their unique individual gifts. That’s why we need to be honest: traditional Transitional Kindergarten (TK) programs just don’t do justice to the incredible potential of young children.

Here’s the thing: regular TK programs often lean heavily on early academics, which can feel more like pushing down first grade into preschool. But research tells us that’s not what young children need. A 2020 study from the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized that “play is not frivolous; it enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive functioning.” When children learn through play, they’re actually building foundational skills for reading, math, science, and beyond—without feeling like they’re stuck at a desk. Not to mention the fact that 4 year old children have developmental needs that are just not appropriately tended to in a traditional TK program.

We also get it: the rollout of universal TK programs has brought a whole new level of pressure. Parents are now comparing milestones, skills, and readiness more than ever. When it first rolled out, we resisted it, but we found that parents were more and more concerned that their children would not meet the “level” of their future kindergarten peers.

In order to meet the families where they are, we designed a program that meets kids where they are; a TK Kindergarten Readiness program based in Play and the River East School philosophy.

Our Play-Based Kindergarten Readiness program blends Reggio Emilia principles, constructivist learning, and the basis of play to prepare the friends for the next step in their educational journeys—without sacrificing the joy and wonder of early childhood.

As a mixed-age program, River East is sensitive to the different developmental needs of the children in our care. Looking through a social-emotional lens, we have seen that the friends in our program take on a similar pattern in their development. Our two-year old friends are often figuring out the world around them, stepping into the world and being met with love by both the teachers and the other friends. Our three-year old friends often spend the year figuring out who they are, what they like, and how to communicate their own self-concepts. Our four- and five-year old friends then figure out who they are in relation to others. While they have been surrounded by the compassion and empathy of the teachers and the friends for the last two years of their life, and have learned how to think of themselves as part of a community, this final year (or two) is when they get to put their own empathy into practice. And as we know, young children learn best when putting things into practice. The mixed-age program isn’t just beneficial for the younger friends, it’s also extremely beneficial for the older friends. That last year is when we see the most development in the friends’ empathy and social-emotional development.

Because of the importance of the mixed-age program, we keep our morning meeting, small group times, meals, and post-nap time in mixed-age groups. However, we utilize a portion of the morning for the friends who are ready for the TK program to “break off” and conduct their own explorations, as a group, and still engage with and co-create our emergent play-based curriculum.

Four children lying on grass collaboratively exploring a variety of skin tones together.

Children learning counting and number concepts with wooden calendar and tree slices, guided by teacher

Children creating colorful bead patterns on zigzag path, developing fine motor skills and pattern recognition

Child painting with large feather brush and blue ink, exploring artistic expression and process-based art, while building fine motor skills needed for writing.

Child engaged up-close-and-personal with a praying mantis, exploring STEM concepts through emergent play.

Teacher working with children on collaborative abstract art project, creating colorful paintings together on outdoor surface

TK children and teachers on a neighborhood walk, exploring community and learning beyond classroom

Two children engaged in hands-on clay exploration, building tactile awareness and creative problem-solving skills

When my daughter River first started at River East School at age two, I couldn’t have imagined just how much this magical little school would come to mean to our family. From the beginning, RES has offered a rich, creative, and deeply nurturing environment— one where River was not only seen, but truly supported. The community, the teachers, and the spirit of the program created a foundation that allowed her to continue growing into the curious, thoughtful, and joyful little human she already was.

As River entered her third year at RES, many of her peers transitioned to more traditional TK programs within LAUSD or other local elementary schools—an understandable move, as it’s often seen as the expected “next step” in early education. While RES offers a thoughtfully designed TK experience within its mixed-age model, I found myself questioning whether staying was the right decision. Would River miss her old friends? Would she continue to be challenged in a mixed-age program? Was I overlooking something by not following the more conventional path?

But as the year unfolded, I couldn’t have been more grateful for the choice we made. River stepped into her final year with a new sense of purpose. As one of the older kids, she gained confidence, formed new friendships, and naturally leaned into leadership within the school. She grew in all the ways I’d hoped, and just as importantly, she still got to be a kid. RES gave her the freedom to play, explore, and be imaginative, all within a thoughtful structure that met her where she was. It never felt rushed...it felt right.

RES incorporates a daily Kinder-prep group—what the kids proudly named “The Book Club”, where TK students practice early foundational skill-building through play, storytelling, and guided activities. The name came from their own excitement around learning new things, and it captured the energy of the group perfectly. River began exploring early reading, writing, and math concepts in a way that felt fun and meaningful, and she gained so much confidence along the way. She was always so proud to share with me what she learned that day. She’s stepping into Kindergarten with a strong foundation, and most importantly, with genuine curiosity and excitement.

I truly believe that the smaller group sizes and individualized attention at RES gave River more personalized support than she would have received in a larger, traditional TK setting. Beyond academics, what stood out most was how deeply the teachers invested in her as a whole person—with warmth, care, and so much intention.

As she graduates and moves on to Kindergarten, I can say with full confidence that keeping her at RES for TK was one of the best decisions we’ve made. We will always be grateful for this remarkable place and the magical foundation it gave our daughter.

-Crystal Raymond Wooden, Mom to River, Class of 2025

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