Keiki Steps to Kindergarten helps children, parents adjust to school

KAILUA—Transitioning into kindergarten is now that much easier for Hawaii’s keiki, thanks to a program put together by Kamehameha Schools and the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE). Keiki Steps to Kindergarten (KSTK) is a three-week program designed to transition children ages 4 to 5 and their parents to an elementary school setting. Registration for KSTK is currently in progress and some schools have already started their program.

“The program is to help children entering into a kindergarten environment—to learn school rules, to meet personnel [their teacher, the principal, vice-principal, other kindergarten teachers, the librarian, cafeteria workers, and the custodians], explains Sheri Magno, KSTK associate program director. “KSTK also allows the children to meet some of their peers and make new friends before the school year begins.”

Students who are enrolled in the KSTK program attend school daily for the three weeks, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with certain schools offering a two-week program or different daily times. In the program, they not only learn school rules and meet new people but also “benefit from the interaction in both large and small settings.”

The program was started in 2003, funded by the SPARK initiative, and initially only served some parts of Oahu and Hawaii. As the program became more popular and successful, KSTK expanded to more communities: the Windward side of Oahu, Hilo (Hawaii Island), Hana (Maui), and to all the elementary schools on Molokai and Kauai. Since 2005, Kamehameha Schools started funding the program through the Hoomohala Kaiaulu Initiative. Today, KSTK serves 42 schools statewide, which include three charter schools, and a little over 600 students. 

“Our program tries to focus on children that either have no or very little pre-school experience. These are the individuals that have a really hard time adjusting to a school setting; they don’t get to interact with peers their age or other adults, because they’re at home most of the time with family members,” Magno says.

Regardless of their learning experience, Jaclyn Sawada, kindergarten teacher at Blanche Pope (a participating KSTK school), says that almost all children can benefit from this program. “The program has been so beneficial,” Sawada says. “Not only does it help the children to transition, but it also helps us to transition, by letting us know where the kids are at and what their skill levels are.

Although the KSTK program is halfway through, parents who are interested in enrolling their children should know that there are still schools open to registration for the coming school year. Parents should also know that registration is free and that children without previous learning experience are given first-priority.

“The kids get used to routine and being without their parents in a relaxed setting,” Sawada says. “They’re not going for the full day and the focus is not on the academics but helping them to develop social skills. For every kid, the journey to kindergarten is going to be different. Going to a program like this is really helpful because it allows the child to get their feet wet without jumping in. To any parents that are skeptical, I would say it’s definitely a program to strongly consider.”

For more information about the KSTK program or a list of participating elementary schools, contact INPEACE at (808) 693-7222 or visit the INPEACE website at www.inpeace-hawaii.org.