Many kindergarten programs require students to be able to sit still, stay quiet, pay attention.
Sally Kauffman Flinchbaugh decided that her 4-year-old son, Reed, was not ready for that environment.
“Why force him to sit still when he’s a pretty rambunctious kid?” she said. “Why take the chance of him not having a great experience in kindergarten?”
Flinchbaugh instead enrolled her son in the new Bridge-K program at the JCC of the East Bay in Berkeley. Starting in September 2010, the yearlong class will be intimate — no more than eight students — and set up for children who aren’t quite ready for the rigors of kindergarten and who might benefit from an extra year of personalized, play-based learning.
Not only is Flinchbaugh happy she found the right school setting for her child, as director of the JCC of the East Bay she is also thrilled to offer the Bridge-K program to the community.
At the JCC’s preschool, “we have a few students every year who end up at other bridge-K programs, so I’m excited to finally offer that to our families,” she said.
The Reggio Emilia–inspired program, which emphasizes the natural development of children and sees parents as partners in education, is specifically for children with late fall birthdays or those who need a year of enrichment before entering kindergarten to develop their social, emotional or behavioral skills. It will integrate learning to write, math, art and science.
In California, the cutoff date for most private schools is Sept. 1; it is Dec. 1 for public schools.
“I don’t know too many parents who regretted doing another year of preschool or enrolling their child in a bridge-K program — but I know a lot who, in 20/20 hindsight, would not have sent their child to kindergarten when they did,” said Ruth Shorer, director of early childhood education at the JCC.
“A Bridge-K program gives children the gift of a year,” she added. “It’s a way to allow children to be who they are for another year until they are ready and willing to embrace what kindergarten has to offer.”
The JCC’s Bridge-K program is intentionally small to give each child personalized instruction and to allow the young students to focus on whatever most interests them as a way to naturally develop their attention span.
The small class size and play-based curriculum also give children the space to improve their ability to listen to and communicate with their peers.
“A child who can’t play well can’t learn well,” Shorer said.
Shorer has a long list of questions she asks parents who are thinking about holding back their child from kindergarten. Considerations include: How do their children react when they don’t get their way? Can they resolve conflicts on their own? Can they negotiate play or do they need a teacher to intervene? Can they dress themselves? Do they follow sequential instructions?
Children who can’t keep up with their kindergarten peers may feel so discouraged that they flounder, starting their
K-12 education on the wrong foot.
“When a child is able to do things well, they feel good about themselves, and when they feel good, they’re able to do things well,” Shorer said. “If they’re not able to do things that they’re asked to do, their confidence goes down, and therefore their competence follows. Confidence and competence go hand-in-hand.”
Bridge-K will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily at the JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St., Berkeley. Early- and after-care will also be available. For information, contact Ruth Shorer at [email protected] or (510) 848-0237 ext. 122.