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Developmental Kindergarten

What is Developmental Kindergarten?

  • Students attend Kindergarten in the following school year.
  • Children turning five-years-old between September 1 and December 1 may consider Developmental Kindergarten.
  • Developmental Kindergarten offers students opportunities to grow and learn through a play-based curriculum built upon the academic standards for Kindergarten.

Developmental Kindergarten is a full-day program. Transportation is provided for families residing within the school attendance areas. The location for the 2023-24 classrooms will be shared in Spring 2023.

How do I register? Registration will open for both of our kindergarten programs in February, 2023. The 3 steps for registration are noted above on this webpage.

Once you have completed the enrollment form and uploaded the documents, send an email to studentservices@bloomfield.org and let them know you'd like to select Developmental Kindergarten for your child.

Who should attend our Developmental Kindergarten Program? While birthdate is only one factor, students turning five-years-old between September 1 and December 1 may benefit most from an additional growth year while developing:

  • Confidence
  • Social skills
  • Oral language development
  • Motor skills
  • Attention span
  • Independence
  • School readiness

How is Developmental Kindergarten different from Kindergarten? Students in Developmental Kindergarten will utilize elements of the Kindergarten curriculum coupled with play-based experiences meant to reinforce social and academic school development. While individual needs are always taken into account, this program is not intended to build a student's readiness for first grade, but rather an additional year of growth with early kindergarten literacy, math, and social skills.

How do I know if my child would benefit from Developmental Kindergarten? Developmental Kindergarten is intended to provide an additional year of academic and social growth for those interested. Talking with your child’s preschool teacher or current care provider about their development may be helpful. Developmental Kindergarten students will advance to Kindergarten the following year.

Is there a cost for Developmental Kindergarten? There is no cost for Developmental Kindergarten.

Who is eligible for Developmental Kindergarten? Children must be 5-years-old no later than December 1, 2023, and students will advance to Kindergarten in the following school year.

Where will Developmental Kindergarten be held? The location of classrooms for the 2023-24 school year will be shared later this spring.

What if I registered for Developmental Kindergarten, but my preferred location is not where the classrooms are scheduled. Can I switch my child to Kindergarten in my neighborhood elementary school? Yes. If you have selected DK, but prefer your child attend kindergarten at your assigned school instead, please send an email to studentservices@bloomfield.org and let them know.

If Developmental Kindergarten is not at my neighborhood elementary school, will transportation be provided? No. The family will provide transportation. 

Are Enrichment classes (like music, art, physical education) part of the Developmental Kindergarten program? Children will experience all of the core areas of instruction including art, media, music, and physical education.

Is Developmental Kindergarten a full day or half day? Developmental Kindergarten is a full school day and will follow the elementary calendar including bell times. (9:10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

What will the student to teacher ratio of the developmental kindergarten class(es) be? (i.e., Will they be any different from a traditional kindergarten class which has one teacher and .5 para?) Our goal will be to have one teacher per 17 students and the same para educator allocation to support instruction that all kindergarten classrooms have.

If the student has an IEP, who will be contacting the family and when? The school principal or special education provider will reach out to families of students with IEPs within the first week of school.