Age rules

Program Who is eligible Required?
Transitional kindergarten (TK) From 2025–26 on, every child who turns 4 on or before September 1 No. TK is optional, and classes must average at least one adult for every 10 students (CDE FAQs)
Kindergarten A child who turns 5 on or before September 1 must be admitted that school year; a district may admit a child who turns 5 later in the year, case by case (Education Code 48000) CDE says there's no requirement to complete TK or kindergarten before 1st grade
1st grade A child who is 6 on or before September 1 School is compulsory from age 6 (Education Code 48200)

The law defines TK as "the first year of a two-year kindergarten program." A year of TK doesn't count as a year of kindergarten for early admission to 1st grade, and a district can't keep a child in kindergarten for a second year without the parent's consent (CDE kindergarten FAQ). Whether a six-year-old starts in kindergarten or 1st grade is a local decision made with the parent.

Locally, CVUSD offers TK at every elementary school. For 2027–28, its TK is for children who are four by September 1, 2027, kindergarten requires age 5 by that date "(No exceptions)," enrollment opens November 2, 2026, and a TK virtual information night is on October 27, 2026, 6–7 pm (CVUSD).

What kindergarten expects by the end of the year

These are end-of-year goals, not entry requirements:

Area By the end of kindergarten Standard
Counting "Count to 100 by ones and by tens"; write numbers from 0 to 20; count to answer "how many?" for up to 20 things K.CC
Adding and subtracting Show addition and subtraction with objects, fingers and drawings; "Fluently add and subtract within 5" K.OA
Letters and sounds "Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters"; say the main sound for each consonant; rhyme; hear the sounds in three-sound words RF.K
Reading Read common sight words such as the, of, to, you and she RF.K.3.c
Writing "Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing" to share an opinion, give information or tell about events W.K

What TK and preschool cover

TK follows the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations rather than the kindergarten standards (CDE FAQs). The foundations describe what most children aged 3 to 5½ can learn with support, in nine areas: approaches to learning; social and emotional development; language and literacy; mathematics; science; physical development; health; history–social science; and the visual and performing arts (introduction). In math, the older age level includes reciting numbers from one to thirty with few errors and counting ten or more objects one by one (math foundations). Kindergarten then goes to 100.

So readiness is broader than letters and numbers: following routines, getting along with other children and managing feelings are part of the same foundations.

Getting ready at home

  • Count real things. Touch each object as you count, one number per object, and ask "How many?" at the end. That's the counting idea in standard K.CC.B.4.
  • Read aloud and talk about it. Ask what happened, what a character might do next, and what a new word means.
  • Play with sounds. Rhyming games, clapping syllables in names, and "What sound does 'ball' start with?"
  • Learn the letters in your child's name, in uppercase and lowercase.
  • Draw and tell. Ask your child to draw something that happened and tell you about it; kindergarten writing starts there.
  • Practice school routines. Taking turns, putting things away and following two-step directions.

If you're unsure between TK and kindergarten, or kindergarten and 1st grade, talk with your neighborhood school. The phonics at home guide has short routines for when your child is ready to start reading.

Questions parents ask

How old does my child have to be for kindergarten in California?

5 on or before September 1 of the school year. A district may also admit a child who turns 5 later in the school year, case by case, if its board finds it's in the child's best interest and the parent agrees.

Is kindergarten required in California?

School becomes compulsory at age 6. CDE says there's no requirement that a child complete a year of TK or kindergarten before enrolling in 1st grade, though a child must be 6 by September 1 to be eligible for 1st grade.

Who can attend transitional kindergarten in 2026–27?

Any child who turned 4 on or before September 1, 2026. TK is optional, and from 2025–26 on, schools must make it available to every child who turns 4 by September 1.

What should my child know before kindergarten?

There's no list a child must master to enroll. The state's Preschool/TK Learning Foundations describe what most children can do by about age 5½, such as reciting numbers from one to thirty and counting ten or more objects, along with social, emotional and physical development.

When does CVUSD kindergarten enrollment open for 2027–28?

Monday, November 2, 2026, through online pre-enrollment at the neighborhood school. CVUSD says kindergarten for 2027–28 requires age 5 by September 1, 2027, with no exceptions.

Sources