Kindergarten and first grade teachers in Manteca Unified are facing a pleasant challenge.

More and more of their students at the start of the school year have a stronger grasp of numbers, the alphabet, and are ready to learn.

It’s thanks to the exploding growth of transitional kindergarten that is open this year to all 4 year-olds.

The non-mandatory precursor to kindergarten has 1,039 students this year. That’s a major jump in the voluntary program launched in the 2021-2022 school year when Manteca Unified had 234 TK students.

While it is still too early when it comes to most data to show how big of a quantifiable gain students that started in TK are experiencing when it comes to obtaining and/or exceeding California’s grade level standards, one trend stands out.

More students are now identified as being Initial Fluent English Proficient.

That removes a major roadblock when it comes to students being able to absorb learning to grade level standards as they don’t have to learn English concurrently.

“Kindergarten teachers are noticing a big difference between students who attended TK and those that didn’t,” noted MUSD Assistant Superintendent Melanie Greene.

Greene said kindergarten teachers have had to adjust their teaching plan as many students now how a firm basic grasp of numbers, the alphabet, and other things.

“They are ready to learn,” Greene said.

First grade teachers are making adjustments as well as more students are further along in the learning process as they advance to the next grade level.

If the state’s premise behind having schools offer TK pans out, that means a domino effect is now in play that will see students all the way through high school not just hitting grade level standards but pushing to learn more.

TK — with a 1 to 10 student-teacher ratio compared to 1 to 24 in kindergarten, one to 26 in primary, and 1 to 34 beyond that — concentrates on helping children develop essential communication, vocabulary, listening, and speaking skills in a language-rich environment that prepares them for success in kindergarten and beyond.

“It levels the field,” pointed out Assistant Superintendent Victoria Brunn.

Before the only programs on par with TK in Manteca were Lions and Lambs at St. Paul, Humpty Dumpty Preschool, and a similar program at Calvary Community.

Children who families could afford to pay and were able to secure a spot or qualified for Headstart benefitted from structured programs to prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.

Just like kindergarten which is now half day, TK is a full day program.

As such, TK students also have breakfast, snacks, and lunch at school.

Given the key role nutrition plays in learning plus food insecurity many families experience, that is another plus of TK. Hungry students tend to not be as focused.

There also TK student enrolled in extended day or after school programs that are also served dinner.

“TK is still play-based and joyful,” Greene noted.

Greene said kindergarten teachers were surprised when they first came across growing members of students thanks to having been in TK that knew all the sounds of letters, could write, and knew numbers.

TK is not mandatory and neither is daily attendance once they are enrolled.

School staff have kept attendance up by engaging students and parents alike in periodic activities such as soap bubble parties and flow parties.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com