Kindergarten & Young 5s Information
P-CCS Kindergarten & Young 5s: Choosing the Right Start for Your Child
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (P-CCS) is proud to offer two high-quality early learning programs: Traditional Kindergarten and Young 5 Kindergarten (Y5K). Both programs are full-day and designed to support children in their transition to elementary school. Understanding the differences between these options will help families choose the best path for their child’s success.
Contact
Dr. Denise Lilly, Executive Director of Elementary Education
denise.lilly@pccsk12.com
For any questions about enrollment for students entering Young 5s to 8th grade, please contact:
Heather Walsh, Enrollment Coordinator heather.walsh@pccsk12.com
734-416-2760
What is Young 5 Kindergarten (Y5K)?
Young 5 Kindergarten is a bridge program designed for children who may benefit from an additional year of growth before entering traditional Kindergarten. It provides a play-based, developmentally appropriate learning environment that nurtures academic, social, and emotional readiness.
Who Should Enroll in Young 5s?
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Children turning five between June 1 and December 1, 2025.
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Families who feel their child may need more time to develop confidence, independence, or school readiness skills before entering traditional Kindergarten.
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Students who would benefit from smaller class sizes and a more gradual introduction to school routines.
Key Features of Young 5s:
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Hands-on, play-based curriculum focusing on early literacy, motor skills, and social-emotional development.
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Smaller class sizes for more individualized attention.
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Two-year program: Students transition to traditional Kindergarten the following year.
*Program available based on interest
What is Traditional Kindergarten?
Traditional Kindergarten is a one-year program for students who are ready for a more structured learning experience. The curriculum emphasizes reading, writing, math readiness, and independent learning skills to prepare students for first grade.
Who Should Enroll in Kindergarten?
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Children turning five on or before December 1, 2025.
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Students who are ready to engage in full-day learning with structured routines.
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Children who can work independently and participate in academic-based instruction.
Key Features of Kindergarten:
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Academic focus: Strong emphasis on literacy, math, and problem-solving skills.
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Larger class sizes with a balance of independent and group learning.
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Prepares students for first grade with structured instruction and greater independence.
| If Your Child Turns 5 Between... | General Recommendations |
|---|---|
| December 2, 2024 – September 1, 2025 | Your child is eligible for Kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year. |
| June 1, 2025 – September 1, 2025 | We recommend families consider applying for Young Fives Kindergarten to provide additional time for growth and school readiness. |
| September 2, 2025 – December 1, 2025 | We strongly encourage families to consider enrolling in Young Fives Kindergarten (signed waiver required) or explore our preschool options. |
| After December 1, 2025 | Your child is not eligible for Kindergarten or Young Fives per Michigan School Code, but we encourage you to explore our preschool offerings. |
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Kindergarten Readiness and Supporting your child for Kindergarten
- Help your child gain independence: Support your child in being able to dress themselves, tie their own shoes, zip their coats, clean up dishes from the table, wash their hands, and complete simple chores.
- Support conversation and listening to others: Talk with your child, encourage questions, play games with turn-taking, read books, tell stories, talk about the stories or facts in a book, encourage retelling of an event or a story, etc.
- Encourage curiosity and a sense of wonder: Talk with your child. Ask open-ended questions such as “What do you think?”, “Is there another way?” “How might you…?” Explore new experiences together: visit the zoo, the library, the mall, the park, etc.
- Support problem-solving and perspective-taking: Encourage your child to figure things out. Ask questions like, “Is there another way?”, “What could you do to fix that?”, “How might you help with?”, “How did that make your friend feel?”
- Support the development of personal responsibility: Help your child recognize that being part of a school community sometimes means comprising or not getting their way. Helping children experience and understand how to lose at a game, how to wait for a turn at something, etc. will build foundations for problem-solving in the school environment. Play board games and card games with your child and support them when they experience loss. Provide opportunities for turn-taking and experiences where they can practice delayed gratification. Identify simple rules in the game and help reinforce following those rules.
- Encourage reading and writing: Read to your child, notice familiar signs in your community, encourage your child to make lists, draw pictures, and play with letters and words.
- Engage in math-based activities: Encourage measuring and counting. Cook with your child, play memory and simple card games, spend time playing board games together, and count, sort, and group items when driving in the car or grocery shopping.