Welcome to the first big milestone in their academic journey!

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Entering TK and Kindergarten is a big step for families. We understand how important it is to make sure your child is set up to succeed. In Downey Unified, our goal is simple. We want to spark an interest in education which will last your child a lifetime!

Teachers Answer Your Questions

Academics

Basic Life Skills

A Day in the Life

TK vs. K

What Downey Unified Offers...

We are a 21st Century Learning Community...

Our students have technology integrated unto their daily instructional time. We have a 1:1 iPad ratio for students at each of our elementary schools.

We are a CHARACTER COUNTS! District...

Downey Unified is proud to be a model Character Counts! school district. Our commitment to character is unsurpassed! All of our schools follow the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

STEAM is at our Core...

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) is integrated into our schools’ transitional kindergarten through twelfth grade classrooms. This gives students the opportunity to apply their skills and talents from the areas of STEAM while solving real-world problems.

We have the best teachers and staff...

Downey Unified is proud to provide the highest salary to our teaching staff compared to other districts across the county. This guarantees that all Downey Unified teachers and staff are the best and the brightest, and will provide your student with a high quality of education and an engaging learning environment that incorporates 21st Century skills.

Downey Unified students are readers, writers, mathematicians, thinkers, artists, scientists, helpers, and friends.

Our Kindergarteners learn…

…letters, sounds and how to read real books.

…how to hold a pencil, write letters and words to make sentences.

…to use technology to express their opinions, write stories and create books using apps on iPads.

…how and why to count numbers and how counting helps us in our everyday lives.

…to understand what a number really means and how to put two numbers together.

With Downey Unified’s STEAM teachers, our students learn…

…the elements of art and how to be an artist.

…about the parts of our bodies and all about animals.

…to solve problems.

…to be independent.

…to share and take turns.

…to explore the world around us.

…that school and learning are fun.

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Samples of Work

Using Apps to Learn

Our Kindergarten students use Poplet, an app, to organize and show their thinking in a creative and visual way. They then publish their creations on Seesaw for teachers and peers. This digital “classroom” allows them to share and comment on their classmates work in an easy-to-use platform.

Creative Digital Projects

PicCollege is used by kindergarten and first-grade students to creatively showcase their comprehension of different content. Student can create their own unique visuals with pictures and text and share them with their class through Seesaw.

Interactive Learning

Kindergarten students use letter manipulatives (magnetic letters) to build words to help them in their process of learning to read. This process is a great teaching tool in helping students build literacy, giving them a way to interact with the alphabet through hands-on activities.

Counting Concepts

Counting collections give children the opportunity to make sense of concepts and practice counting in a real context. Kindergarten students are given a collection of objects to count to assist them in understanding mathematics. This activity can be used for many different mathematical purposes, such as number names, the order of numbers, one-to-one correspondence, name-symbol relation, and base 10 structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Transitional Kindergarten?

Transitional Kindergarten is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate.

Are children required to attend transitional kindergarten?

No. Transitional Kindergarten, or regular Kindergarten for that matter, is not mandatory in California. It is up to parents to decide whether to enroll their children in preschool or transitional kindergarten.

How old does my child need to be to be enrolled?

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2020 for the 2020-21 school year.

Transitional Kindergarten

Transitional Kindergarten is designed for students who turn 5 years old between September 2 and December 2, 2020.

Early Transitional Kindergarten

Early Transitional Kindergarten is designed for students who turn 5 years old between December 3, 2020, and May 31, 2021.

Is Transitional Kindergarten free?

Yes. Transitional Kindergarten is a part of California’s K-12 public school system and children can attend at no cost.

Do children in Transitional Kindergarten have to meet the same vaccination requirements as in regular kindergarten?

Yes.

Does the Transitional Kindergarten teacher need a teaching credential?

The teacher must be properly credentialed as is currently required of kindergarten teachers.

How old does my child have to be?

For students who have not participated in Kindergarten or First Grade programs prior to 2021-2022
Birthdate Criteria	Grade Level
Born after 12/02/16	Not eligible for enrollment
09/02/16 – 12/02/16	Transitional Kindergarten
09/02/15 – 09/01/16	Kindergarten
09/02/14 – 09/01/15	1
For students who have participated in K-12 programs prior to 2021-2022
Birthdate Criteria	Grade Level
09/02/14 – 9/01/15	1
09/02/13 – 09/01/14	2
09/02/12 – 09/01/13	3
09/02/11 – 09/01/12	4
10/02/10 – 09/01/11	5
11/02/09 – 10/01/10	6
12/02/08 – 11/01/09	7
12/02/07 – 12/01/08	8
12/02/06 – 12/01/07	9
12/02/05 – 12/01/06	10
12/02/04 – 12/01/05	11
12/02/03 – 12/01/04	12

Contact Us

Still have questions?

Feel free to contact us by filling out the form, call or email. We’re happy to help.
(562) 469-6518
kinder@dusd.net

Ready to Enroll?

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