Again this week, for some reason, I am still having a hard time finding information on my topic. When I used the Leatherby Libraries option, I was unable to find anything I could use. I searched “the difference between preschool and transitional kindergarten” several different ways, using preschool and transitional kindergarten by themselves, and even shortening them, such as kinder. I then searched teacher qualifications for both and found nothing. After reading Research Strategies  by William Badke, I took his advice and searched using google books. I was able to scroll through a lot of information until I finally found The Promise of Preschool: From Head Start to Universal Pre-Kindergarten by Elizabeth Rose.  I never thought my topic would give me so much trouble.

The book I did find was full of great information. I learned that “pre-kindergarten teachers are required to have a bachelors degree and teaching certification in order to teach pre-kindergarten” (pg. 202).  Though transitional teachers are required to have the same qualifications as elementary school teachers, they are not compensated the same, which results in a higher turnover.  Transitional teachers who teach through a k-12 school campus are more likely to be paid more than those who teach pre-kindergarten somewhere else.

Other things I found quite interesting were that preschools such as head start find it extremely important to involve parents and families, while pre-kindergarten classrooms (found in a K-8 environment) are less likely to involve families. In addition, play, which is valued in a preschool environment, is viewed as being dispensable in pre-kindergarten or transitional kindergarten.
I look forward to reading more and learning about the many other differences that exist between preschool and transitional kindergarten.