Educating Young Children Volume 2 - Spring 2026 | Page 42

› Consider ways to collaborate on projects. These might include shared reading or author studies, where preschoolers and kindergartners read books by the same author; creating class stories to share with one another; or asking children in different grade levels to write letters to each other. Also consider coordinating field trips and using technology for classes to meet each other.

› Welcome incoming families. Send a personal letter, postcard, or ecard in each family’ s home language to incoming kindergartners, and invite families to attend orientation activities and special events. Consider families’ work schedules and modes of transportation when determining the time of day and location for these activities.

› How can you introduce yourself to other preschool and kindergarten teachers in your district, school, or community? Are there any early childhood-focused groups for educators that you could join?

› What do you need to do your job well( more curricular ideas or assessment strategies)? Advocate for what you know is important, and share this with your team and administrators.

› How can you enhance instruction and activities within your own class and the collaborative pre-K / kindergarten group?

› Does the professional development in your school address the unique needs of early childhood educators, or is it one-size-fits-all?

› Are there local groups you can connect with to offer tailored professional learning and coaching?

› Do you understand the supports necessary for developmentally appropriate pre-K and kindergarten classrooms? Do you regularly talk with educators about their needs?

› Do you involve pre-K and kindergarten educators in schoolwide discussions?

› How can you include administrators in building a shared understanding of the purposes of pre-K and kindergarten?

42 Educating Young Children

Spring 2026