Transition to school is a big deal. Research tells us, parents tell us, educators
tell us, and children show us. The Transition to School Position Statement
released by Charles Sturt University in 2010, identified the process as being
characterised by: Opportunities,
Aspirations, Expectations and Entitlements – for the children, the families,
the school and the community. It also
recognized that the process of transition may occur over a varied length of
time, depending on the needs of individual children and their families, and
that it is a ‘dynamic process of continuity and change’. For the families of
children with additional needs, the thought, let alone the act of change can
hold any number of additional stressors as they strive for their own child’s
successful transition from preschool to school.
My own daughter received a letter from her Year 4
buddy two months before school started.
There were opportunities to attend half days in the classroom, and a
booklet with key photos showing the bathrooms, the classroom, the hall, the
play equipment. Yet still, after day
one, she struggled to keep awake, to eat her lunch, to find it ‘fun’ in the
terms she’d come to associate play-based learning. Whilst the hours were less in a school day,
the pace had changed. The emphasis had
shifted. Same child, different
environment.
How we experience things – change – has a lot to do
with our senses. If a child has
heightened/lessened sensitivities, whether a result of sensory processing
disorder, displaying traits from the Autism Disorder Spectrum (ASD), a
traumatic experience in the past, or ongoing difficulties, for example, the
world in this new environment will take even longer to acclimatise with. The educator needs as much information as
possible in advance so as to assist in the transition. The child needs as much experience in this
new environment as possible, without drawing down too much on the expectations
for the following year.
And therein lie the contradictions. If we focus so much on the transition, are we
depriving the child of the last few months in this play-based, child-centred
environment? Or, is it a necessary
process to enable a child to feel settled and familiar when the new year
begins?
There is research to suggest that the value of a
successful transition may directly link to positive outcomes educationally and
socially in later life. Indeed, it is
documented in the Starting Strong II:
Early Childhood Education and Care, OECD 2006, that ‘transitions for
children are generally a stimulus to growth and development, but if too abrupt
and handled without care, they carry – particularly for young children – the
risk of regression and failure.’
I believe by identifying the routine elements and
drawing upon them within the preschool environment, we can assist a child in
the transition to school. For instance,
linking images and visuals that co-exist between school and the preschool -photos of the toilets at both settings,
photos of the place where eating takes place, photos of the different outdoor
play equipment, of the drinking taps, and perhaps even images of children at
group times in both scenarios. This will
assist all children to identify routine that will stay the same, and tie the
emotions / familiarity of the old with the new.
Excursions to local primary schools are valuable. Where possible, attending incursions based at
the school enables a visit with the comfort of familiar adults and
children. Or, as they do in a rural
preschool I visited recently, participating in an event at the local primary
school sports carnival.
For the child with additional supports, having the
parents or primary care-giver speak with the principal and the teacher (if
known) well in advance of the school year starting, enables the educator to be
part of the development process even before the child is in their class. Strategies should be shared between home,
preschool, and school to reduce ‘surprises’ and allow for consistency.
Identifying each child as an individual with their own
strengths and areas for development, regardless the situation, also takes the
fear element out of the experience for the educator. Encouraging the family or primary care-giver
to showcase the child’s strengths, enables the
school to identify something very positive about this child and the
child will in turn feel that respect and acceptance for what they can offer to
the class – a huge step in transitioning.
Also knowing triggers and strategies that have worked
to reduce impact or negative experiences will be of enormous assistance to a
new educator. Words, actions, visuals,
timers, seating, sensory props, or fidget toys and aides should all be
consistent. A child may learn to carry a
sensory fidget toy or stress ball type aide in their pocket and to manipulate
it during lesson times. Or a wrist band
for plucking. An elastic band may be
placed around the legs of the child’s school chair for the child to feel
resistance when leaned into by the backs of the legs. Or a simple timer might be turned over at the
beginning of an activity at eye level with the child requiring that type of
‘boundary’. Time to stretch and move
around at intervals throughout the
day may be as valuable as a nourishing
meal!
Stephanie Johnson at her recent seminar regarding child
trauma and the impact on learning in the classroom, alluded to strategies that can assist children in self regulating
their moods. In this context she
supported the benefits of movement throughout the day, simple breathing
techniques, and also suggested identifying a ‘safe space’ for the child to take
themselves to when feeling overwhelmed.
She emphasized the benefit of having these strategies discussed and
planned long before they may need to be implemented.
At the same time, there will be an element of
adjustment where a child will feel something that works at home or at
preschool, won’t do at school, simply because they’ve grown out of it, or the
sensory environment at the new school is different. It could even be that the personality of the
new educator is such that a response required is different. Again, time to try it all out is imperative,
and this includes time in the preschool as well as at the new setting.
Without turning the experience into a daunting one,
here are a few ideas to assist in all that has just been suggested.
·
Start to create photo books for each
of the primary schools in your area.
This may include the front entrance, car parks, bus drop-offs and
pick-ups, school office, kindergarten rooms, bench seating outside, lunch and
recess areas, uniforms (or not uniforms), playground equipment and playgrounds
with all the children playing, classrooms with all the children participating
as they usually do, toilet facilities, school hall etc. This sounds like a big task; however if you have a parent with a child
already at the school, or a good relationship with the local kindergarten
teachers, they will hopefully be able to provide these images to you without
too much difficulty. Turning these into
hard-cover books is easy with such online resources as photobox, snapfish,
picassa etc. Or simply binding and
laminating. If they can then be loaned
to families, this really will play a good part in early familiarization.
·
As a preschool, inviting the local
Kindergarten teachers in to your service will do wonders for the children. Taking photos with their new teacher and
having this on display will do as much for the child as having their parent
present on their first day at preschool.
Developing that relationship before school, will really help. If not the teacher, the principal. Or the pastoral care person or whoever would
be the ideal point of contact for the child upon entering school.
·
Developing confidence in going to the
toilet either by enabling a child to set their own timer reminder (perhaps they
have a ticking egg timer), or knowing certain times to always go eg. Arrival,
going outside, coming inside, departure.
·
And seemingly simple things like
taking wrappers off lunch / recess items could make all the difference in a
child eating or not eating and thereby getting the necessary energy to continue
with the school day. Looking at containers
and the ease with which they open / shut.
Thinking about nutrition and identifying a list of a variety of lunchbox
ideas and discuss with the children as well as the families.
·
Practicing the route to school and
photographing / mapping, along with discussions of transport – will they take the
bus, travel in a car, walk?
·
Encouraging play dates at a local
playground for children who will be attending same schools also enables
families to meet outside the preschool environment and gives them a
communication starting point.
·
Communicate directly with the local
primary schools to identify their transition programs and work together with a
buddy program (visits to the school to meet with the buddy, visits from the
buddy to the preschool).
A number of websites offer similar and complimentary
strategies and are listed at the foot of this article. Certainly transition to school is gaining in
research momentum and a great deal of recognition has been made regarding the
need to provide consistency and family-centred supports through all levels of services.
And finally, of great importance, be positive about
the new experience and be realistic. Be
open to a child sharing their own emotions around the experience. Rather than dismiss nerves or fear,
acknowledge them, discuss them, and provide strategies to overcome them (for
the child and for the parents).
References:
Educational Transitions and Change (ETC) Research
Group (2011). Transition to school: Position statement. Albury-Wodonga: Research Institute for Professional Practice,
Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University.
Child trauma and the impact on learning in the
classroom: Mrs Stephanie J Jarratt,
College Counsellor, Wagga Wagga Christian College, NSW.
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