Kindergarten Cafe Podcast: Simple Tips for Teaching Kindergarten

Kindergarten has changed, and if you’ve ever wondered whether the expectations we’re placing on our youngest learners are actually developmentally appropriate, this conversation is for you.In this episode, I’m joined by Kate, also known as @EvidenceBasedKate on TikTok, who has spent 20 years in education as a classroom teacher and curriculum writer and now helps bridge the gap between educational research and what’s happening in classrooms.In this episode, you’ll hear:What research tells us about how kindergarten has become increasingly academic and why developmental expectations for five-year-olds haven’t changed along with itHow standardized testing, education policy, and academic standards have contributed to pushing higher expectations into the early gradesWhy play, recess, social-emotional development, and other foundational skills create important conditions for learningWhat the research says about kindergarten redshirting and why the answer isn’t as straightforward as it may seemHow to look more critically at claims that a curriculum or teaching practice is “research-based,” including resources teachers can use to find trustworthy education researchPractical ways to work within a required curriculum while still honoring child development, foundational skills, joyful reading experiences, and what you know about the students in front of youOne of my biggest takeaways from this conversation is that you don’t have to overhaul everything at once. If something in your classroom doesn’t feel right, start by getting curious, look at the evidence, and choose one manageable change you can make. Small, intentional shifts can help us create kindergarten classrooms that meet academic expectations while still honoring how young children actually learn.Work with Zeba 1:1 CoachingSend Zeba a voice messageConnect with Kate:TikTik - @evidencebasedkateLinktree - Evidence Based KateWhat Works ClearinghouseEducationWeekChalkbeat The Hechinger Report Edutopia The 74 Connect with Zeba:Instagram - @kindergartencafeFacebook - @kindergartencafeWebsite - www.kindergartencafe.orgTik Tok - @kindergartencafeMentioned in this episode:Kindergarten EssentialsGrab the year-long, mega-bundle kindergarten activities here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Teacher-Essentials-Year-Long-Mega-Bundle-Kindergarten-Activities-8356704

If a student has come to you with little to no letter or number knowledge and your first instinct is to panic, this episode is here to help you take a breath and make a plan instead. Kids arrive in kindergarten from different places, and not knowing letters or numbers is not a crisis, it is a starting point.In this episode, I share:why a child arriving with no letter or number knowledge is not something to panic about, and what your job is when that happenshow to figure out what a student does know so you can meet them exactly where they are instead of focusing only on the gapswhere to start with literacy when a student has no letter knowledge, from name recognition to fine motor to the most foundational phonological skillshow to back up and build number sense step by step for students who are not yet tracking count, number order, or one-to-one correspondencewhy strong social-emotional skills in a child with no academic knowledge is actually a really good sign, and what that tells you about their ability to learnhow to talk to families early without panicking them, and why that conversation is one of the most important things you can dowhy celebrating even small growth with the student matters as much as the extra practice itselfNot knowing the letters or numbers when they walk in the door is not the problem. The question is how they progress once you start teaching them, and this episode helps you stay focused on exactly that.Work with Zeba 1:1 CoachingSend Zeba a voice messageResources:Math BundleLiteracy Bundle Kindergarten Essentials BundleConnect with Zeba:Instagram - @kindergartencafeFacebook - @kindergartencafeWebsite - www.kindergartencafe.orgTik Tok - @kindergartencafeMentioned in this episode:Kindergarten EssentialsGrab the year-long, mega-bundle kindergarten activities here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Teacher-Essentials-Year-Long-Mega-Bundle-Kindergarten-Activities-8356704

If you have been wondering what small group instruction actually looks like in a real kindergarten classroom, not the idealized version, but the practical, flexible, works-for-actual-five-year-olds version, this episode is for you. I walk through exactly how I approach literacy and math instruction, including when to pull small groups, what happens in them, and how to work smarter instead of reinventing lessons every single week.In this episode, I share:why small groups do not need to look like traditional guided reading, and how staying flexible with the format serves kids betterwhen it makes sense to start pulling small groups, and why waiting until kids are truly independent first is the right callwhat a literacy small group looks like, from warm-up to hands-on letter practice to games that keep kids engagedwhy repeating the same activities over and over is not boring - it is actually one of the most effective things you can do for kids who need extra supporthow to target the exact missing skill in math by meeting kids just above where they currently are, using concrete materials and observation to guide the workwhy flexible grouping matters and how to adjust who is in a group based on progress rather than locking kids in for the whole yearYou do not need a new lesson every day or a perfectly structured table group to make small group time count. Meet kids where they are, repeat what works, and trust that consistent targeted practice is what moves the needle.Work with Zeba 1:1 CoachingSend Zeba a voice messageRelated Episodes:Why Students Fall Behind Early ~ Ep. 150Mistakes in Teaching Letters and Numbers ~ Ep. 151Differentiating Instruction in Kindergarten for Diverse Learners ~ Ep. 75Minimizing Disruptions During Kindergarten Small Groups ~ Ep. 117How I Launch Math and Literacy Centers ~ Ep. 148Resources:Math BundleLiteracy Bundle Kindergarten Essentials BundleSimple, yet Effective, Small Group Instruction in KindergartenConnect with Zeba:Instagram - @kindergartencafeFacebook - @kindergartencafeWebsite - www.kindergartencafe.orgTik Tok - @kindergartencafeMentioned in this episode:Alphabet Worksheet Bundlehttps://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Worksheets-Bundle-Alphabet-Literacy-Centers-Letter-writing-sound-sort-11657590

Sometimes students are not struggling because something is wrong. Sometimes it’s how the material is being taught, or because a curriculum is moving too fast for where they actually are. This episode is an honest look at the most common mistakes teachers make when teaching letters and numbers, and how to fix them before they create bigger gaps down the road.In this episode, I share:why moving to reading words and books before letters and sounds are solid is one of the fastest ways to make kids look like they are falling behind when they are really right on trackhow teaching letters too quickly or expecting mastery after one round of instruction sets kids up to strugglewhy hands-on learning matters more than worksheets, especially for students who are not picking up letters and sounds at the same pace as their peerswhy daily review, even just one to four minutes, is critical for helping all students hold onto what they have learnedhow focusing on math procedures and facts before kids understand what numbers actually mean creates gaps that follow them for yearswhy concrete manipulatives need to come before visual or abstract math, and what it looks like to slow down for the kids who need itwhy coverage does not equal mastery, and why it is always okay to stay with a skill longer than the curriculum says toStrong foundational skills save everyone time in the long run. Slowing down now is not falling behind, it is exactly what kindergartners need to move forward with confidence.Work with Zeba 1:1 CoachingSend Zeba a voice messageRelated Episodes:Kindergarten Small Groups for Teaching Letter Sounds ~ Ep. 106Essential Math Skills Every Kindergartener Needs ~ Ep. 66Exploring Counting Math Centers in Kindergarten Classrooms ~ Ep. 8Why Students Fall Behind Early ~ Ep. 150Resources:Math BundleLiteracy Bundle Kindergarten Essentials BundleConnect with Zeba:Instagram - @kindergartencafeFacebook - @kindergartencafeWebsite - www.kindergartencafe.orgTik Tok - @kindergartencafeMentioned in this episode:Alphabet Worksheet Bundlehttps://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alphabet-Worksheets-Bundle-Alphabet-Literacy-Centers-Letter-writing-sound-sort-11657590

Kindergarten teachers know that kids arrive with wildly different backgrounds and levels of readiness, and it can be hard to know what to do when a student is already struggling in the fall. This episode is a practical guide to understanding which foundational skills matter at the start of the year, how to spot gaps early, and what to do about them before they grow.In this episode, I share:why kids not having foundational skills when they arrive is not a failure on anyone, and what your job is when that happenswhich literacy skills matter most in kindergarten, including letter names and sounds, phonological awareness, fine motor, and oral languagewhich math skills to prioritize early, like counting, one-to-one correspondence, subitizing, and cardinalitywhy observing students as they work tells you more than a formal assessment, and what to look forhow to give extra support and differentiation early without needing formal small groups in place yetwhen lack of progress after good instruction is the real signal to be concerned, not where a child startedKids do not fall behind overnight, and you do not have to wait for report cards to respond to what you are seeing. Observe early, support consistently, and trust that meeting kids where they are is exactly the right place to start.Work with Zeba 1:1 CoachingSend Zeba a voice messageRelated Episodes:Essential Math Skills Every Kindergartener Needs ~ Ep. 66Kindergarten Case Study: Supporting Kindergarteners With No Letter Knowledge ~ Ep. 105Resources:Tracking student progress easilyMath BundleLiteracy BundleConnect with Zeba:Instagram - @kindergartencafeFacebook - @kindergartencafeWebsite - www.kindergartencafe.orgTik Tok - @kindergartencafeMentioned in this episode:Kindergarten EssentialsGrab the year-long, mega-bundle kindergarten activities here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindergarten-Teacher-Essentials-Year-Long-Mega-Bundle-Kindergarten-Activities-8356704