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Smooth Transition

Notes
19

SMOOTH TRANSITION

Between birth and the age of eight years, many significant transitions happen in
education for children. By the time young children enter pre-primary and primary
school, they undergo various changes and transitions. They might have attended
some childcare center, playgroup, anganwadi, balwadi, or a preschool. Each
child responds in a different manner to such challenges and deals with the
transitions initially from home to pre-primary school and then from pre-primary
to primary school accordingly. During this process, it is important to know whether
children are having a smooth transition. They keep learning to adjust to challenges
and new environments.

Beginning preschool or kindergarten is a transition that holds many changes for
children. It is a situation of great change in which children have not only to
move into a new environment but also adapt to an unknown and new setting.
The time when children make the transition to school can be a critical period in
their development because it can impact on their level of involvement with school
and therefore affect their future attainments in education.
A majority of children make successful transitions at different stages during their
education. However, some children are more likely to find these changes to their
daily routine more challenging compared with their peers. Those children who
experience difficulties are more likely to come from vulnerable groups, for
example from more deprived backgrounds or to have special educational needs.
Children with poor socio-emotional skills, low self-esteem or low self-confidence
may be particularly vulnerable during the home to school transition because
they lack the skills that would provide them with stronger resilience to cope with
new expectations of the new surroundings and social relationships. Children
who might not have attended some childcare center, playgroup, anganwadi,
balwadi, or a preschool have limited opportunities to socialise and manage their
emotions. They may lack the competencies needed for a successful start and the
ability to respond appropriately to the school environment and situations. A
smooth home to school transition is important because research has shown a

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION 163