Page 7 - LESSION 19.pmd

Smooth Transition

• children and parents to visit or spend time in the playground and getting to
know the school layout, before the school year ends and/or in the holidays
Notes
• Children and parents to be shown where the toilets are, or where other facilities

in the school are located and how they will get to them
• • • • • Storytelling: Some children find stories useful in learning what might happen
and what might be expected of them in different situations. Parents could

create one or more stories about school, perhaps using photos of the
playground, classroom, teacher and support staff. The parents could ask the
teacher about school and classroom routines to include in the stories.

• • • • • Practicing the skills needed at school: Depending on the children’s
abilities, the school may expect skills such as packing and unpacking their
bag, going to the toilet, fastening their clothing, washing their hands,
unwrapping their food and opening lunch boxes and drink bottles. These
should be practiced with the children before school starts.

19.1.5 Benefits of Facilitating Smooth Transition

Some signs of successful transitions are:

• Children will like school and look forward to going to school

• Children will show steady growth in academic skills

• Parents will become actively involved in their children’s education—at
home, in school, and in the community

• Classroom environments will promote positive feelings for both teachers
and children

• Teachers, staff members, and families will value one another

• Schools and programmes will celebrate cultural diversity in their communities

• Developmentally appropriate practices will be visible within the classroom

19.2 UNDERSTANDING READINESS

School readiness is a multi-faceted phenomenon comprising development in the
physical/health, social and emotional domains, as well as language acquisition,
literacy and cognition. New perspectives on school readiness recognize that
schools also need to be ready to meet the varied needs of children and their
families.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION 169