JPS Young 5's
What is the Young Fives Program?
Our Young Fives program is a bridge between 4-year old preschool and kindergarten, offering a developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to meet the needs of a child who may need one more year of social, emotional, or academic development. It benefits students by providing an extra year to gain independence, problem solving skills, fine and gross motor development, and social skills to prepare children for their kindergarten experience. In other words, our Young Fives program is a gift of time, an opportunity to empower your child to enter kindergarten with confidence and an eagerness for learning.
If you have questions, please contact
Julie Baker at Julie.Baker@jpsk12.org or 517-841-2157
How does a child qualify for the Young Fives Program?
Children who turn five between April 1st and December 1st can qualify based on the results of the Kindergarten Readiness Screener administered to all entering kindergarten students or through parent request. Parents of students who are not five years old by September 1st will need to complete a Kindergarten Waiver Request form.
Where is the program located?
Young Fives classrooms will be located at Cascades Elementary, Hunt Elementary, Northeast Elementary, and Sharp Park Academy. Classes may be opened in additional buildings as enrollment dictates.
What happens after the Young Fives Program?
Students in the Young Fives Program will move to the grade most appropriate for them based on their academic scores and level of social/emotional development in the spring. In order to be considered for first grade placement, scores must demonstrate that the child is on target to meet year end reading, writing, and math expectations for kindergarten AND is ready socially and emotionally for first grade.
Young Fives Curriculum at a Glance
Students will be able to...
Social / Emotional
- Participate in a small group setting
- Demonstrate self-control and express emotions appropriately
- Respect the personal space of others
- Adjust to transitions and follow classroom rules
- Organize self and belongings independently
Fine Motor / Hand Writting / Visual Spatial Awareness
- Hold a pencil with dominant hand
- Pick up and manipulate small objects
- Write first and last name
- Learn to use scissors
Language Arts
- Develop listening, speaking, pre-reading and pre-writing skills
- Learn to recognize letters, learn letter sounds
- Communicate a message on paper using pictures and/or print
Math
- Learn number concepts, operations, measurement, shapes, patterns, counting, and sorting
- Recognize and write numbers
Science
- Ask questions, and make predictions and observations while exploring the natural world
Social Studies
- Develop a basic awareness of themselves as part of a family and community
- Develop an awareness and appreciation of his/her own culture, as well as that of oth