Young 5's Program

Welcome to Wyandotte!

Our district is excited to extend a new kindergarten option to students and families of our young elementary students – Young Fives. Young Fives offers the gift of additional time to our students that are of kindergarten age and can benefit from additional time before entering a regular kindergarten class – socially, emotionally, academically, or just to give your child this advantage. The curriculum targets the most important reading and math learning objectives for kindergarten as well as hands on experiences about their world and social skills. Children who turn 5 in the summer before they are to start kindergarten or will turn 5 by December 1st of their kindergarten year, are offered this opportunity. Children who attend Young Fives will go to kindergarten the following year. 

Young Fives students benefit from deliberate instruction in the most critical kindergarten standards next year and also benefit from individualized and small group instruction from their teacher that matches their individual instructional level. Your child is supported in areas they may struggle in and is challenged and enriched in the areas they excel in. The Young Fives classrooms are very student centered and provide many opportunities to build and practice social interactions to become a positive community of self-directed and collaborative learners that will shine the following year in kindergarten.

Currently we have Young Fives in three of our schools that service all four Wyandotte Elementary Schools - Garfield Elemenetary, Monroe Elementary and Washington Elementary. After their year in Young Fives, the students will attend kindergarten through fifth grade at their home school/assigned school.

If you have children in another Wyandotte elementary school and are worried about juggling the start and end times that are the same, please drop off your Young Fives student later and pick up your Young Fives student early. Prioritize having your kindergartener–fifth graders in school for the official start and end times.

I am a Wyandotte Principal and a mom. I invite you to reach out to me with your questions, your hopes, your worries, and your needs especially if you are considering Young Fives to begin your child’s educational journey. As a mom of three kids, I had this opportunity for two of my children and I chose Young 5s. I believe it will give your children a great advantage as they begin their educational journey ~ an advantage that will have a lasting impact. Here in Wyandotte, we are happy to be your partner in your child’s learning and growth this year.

Sincerely,

Vicki Wilson
Principal
Monroe Elementary School
wilsonv@wy.k12.mi.us
734-759-5800

Frequently Asked Questions

Helpful Facts About Young 5’s

  1. Young 5’s is an option for students entering kindergarten that may need the gift of time to develop their social and academic skills before entering formal kindergarten.
  2. Young 5’s is not for every student. Students who qualify for a waiver into kindergarten and other young learners may benefit from a Young 5’s program, Preschool at Wyandotte’s Early Childhood Center, or Kindergarten.
  3. Students will be screened at a later date by Wyandotte staff to determine a best fit for placement for your child—Preschool, Young 5’s or Kindergarten. Students that attend Wyandotte’s Early Childhood Center will be screen by their preschool teacher. Their ECC preschool teacher will make the placement recommendation.
  4. The program will adhere to kindergarten learning standards and goals. It will provide more time to focus on social learning, while developing emerging literacy, early mathematical concepts, and number sense.
  5. Young 5’s will be housed in one or more of Wyandotte Public School’s ele-mentary buildings and will be taught by a qualified, certified elementary teacher with knowledge of developmentally appropriate curriculum. Your child will attend their resident school the following year for Kindergarten. Students who are School of Choice will follow an older sibling or be assigned a school for Kindergarten.
  6. The Young 5’s program is free of cost and will follow a schedule consistent with all of the Wyandotte Elementary schools.

Young 5's Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) (2PP, 302KB)

Decision Guide for Young 5's (PDF) (1PP, 265KB)