Class Act: In Petaluma, kindergarten readiness is a family affair 

The first day of kindergarten is typically a time of excitement and happy anticipation for California parents and kids. But for many immigrant families—especially those whose elders don’t speak English fluently or those with little Western-style education themselves—this traditional rite of passage can be unsettling, confusing and even traumatic.

To ease the strains of this transition and to increase the chances that children who are still learning English will be happy and successful in school, the Petaluma Adult School and Petaluma City Schools District have created the “Ready for Kindergarten” program. Targeted to disadvantaged families in the region, it’s a free, bilingual school-readiness program that teaches parents to navigate the sometimes-complex world of public education and introduces children to the skills they’ll need as kindergartners.

The program started small in 2001, with an English class for parents and a summer school class for parents and children. Since then, the program has expanded to offer several classes each year for families with children about to enter kindergarten. Instruction is in both English and Spanish—the most common languages spoken by newcomers to the region—and the classes focus on what Waxman calls “family literacy.”

“Some of these children may never have used a pair of scissors or held a book,” says Carol Waxman, adult school principal. “We give them an idea what to expect and hold informal question-and-answer sessions with parents. School can be daunting for parents. It’s very helpful to have this supportive environment, with classes taught by teachers who are expert, warm and understanding.”

“Ready for Kindergarten” classes run two hours a day for each 26-day session. Families of 61 entering kindergartners participated in spring and summer readiness programs in 2008; the district could only accommodate families of 42 new students this year because budget cuts eliminated summer school.

Waxman says teachers introduce a new letter each day, describe the Western calendar, teach children to identify colors and shapes and to count in English, and practice essential kindergarten skills like circle- and snack-time protocol. Kids learn to listen quietly and cooperate with their classmates, and they leave the program feeling excited about the new school year.

It’s definitely a communal affair.

“Sometimes we have two parents, a grandmother, babes in arms or an aunt or uncle,” Waxman says. “We have 20 or 22 students in a class, each with at least one adult and perhaps a younger sibling or two. That’s a lot of bodies.”

Some classes, she says, have provided babysitters to supervise visiting toddlers so their parents and siblings can concentrate.

Petaluma City Schools Superintendent Greta Viguie says she especially enjoys the program’s graduation ceremonies. “The joy of learning is evident in this program,” she says. “Parents and children leave prepared for success in school and kindergarten.”

A number of parents who attended the program with their children are playing key roles at their respective schools years later. Hilda Valencia, whose daughter is now a fourth-grader, recently completed a term serving as PTA co-president at her daughter’s elementary school and also serves on the school’s English Language Advisory Committee.

Rufina Sainos, mother of prekindergartner Elia, is a spring 2009 readiness graduate. She says the program helped her daughter develop confidence. “Before the class, she was so shy,” Sainos says. “She learned to talk and play with the other children in the class.”

The program won a Golden Bell Award this year from the California School Boards Association, which will be presented at the association’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show in December. “We are very proud to provide this program for our English Learner families with young children,” says Troy Sanderson, school board president, “as part of our focus on increasing achievement for all students and closing the achievement gap.”

Toolkit

WHO:  Petaluma Adult School/Petaluma City School District
WHAT:  Bilingual kindergarten readiness program
WHEN:  Since 2001
WHERE:  Petaluma
WHY:  To give disadvantaged children with limited English skills—and their parents—an introduction to the academic, social and behavior skills needed to succeed in kindergarten.
HOW:  Offer free bilingual classes for families taught by veteran Petaluma teachers in a warm, supportive environment that welcomes them into the public school system.
MORE:  Petaluma City Schools