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Smooth Transition

Quality early care and education accepts all children and assists families with
a seamless transition to a high-quality formal learning environment.
Notes Prepared schools welcome all children while recognizing and reinforcing
children’s strengths and individual differences. Prepared schools are sensitive to
cultural values and understand children develop holistically and at different rates.

Ready children are socially, personally, physically and intellectually prepared
within developmentally appropriate expectations.

19.1.4 Transition Activities for Parents and Children

The more you discuss this transition in a matter-of-fact way, the more comfortable
children will become. Encourage parents to prepare their children for ECCE
centre with the following:

• Visit the centre so the children can meet the teacher and see what the centre
is like. Try to arrange for them to see more than one type of classroom
activity, such as seatwork time and free choice time.
• Show them where the washrooms are located.

• Find out what lunchtime will be like. If children are going to be getting
a school lunch, they may have to learn how to open and use new kinds
of containers.

• Read books about kindergarten.
• Answer children’s questions in a straight forward way about what they will
do in the centre. Tell them they will listen to stories, do counting activities,
have group time, and play outside.

The transition from home to preschool can be a stressful time for both children
and parents. However, if preschool teachers can facilitate collaboration between
parents and familiarize children with the workings of centre, it will be a
smoother process. Preschool teachers, with their knowledge of different
learning styles and the temperaments of their students, can help everyone with
this important transition.

19.1.4.1 Suggested activities for ensuring a smooth transition
Many schools are willing to offer children additional orientation activities,
whether in the year prior to them starting, or in the few days prior to the first
day of school. For example, the school might arrange for:

• children to meet their class teacher and other staff (aides) prior to starting
• parents to visit or spend time in a classroom before the school year ends

168 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION