Reflecting on transition to school

Our ongoing work with children, families and teachers defines transition as a process involving both continuity and change, Professors Sue Dockett and Bob Perry, Charles Sturt University School of Education, write.

Transition to school involves more than a set of activities – it is a process of children becoming school students; parents becoming parents of a school student; where some teachers farewell a group of children and other teachers get to know those children and their families.

A critical element of the transition to school is the relationships that are formed and maintained to support all involved. Effective transitions are characterised by positive relationships between and among all involved – children, families, teachers and communities.

Transitions start well before the first day of school. For some children and families, transitions can also extend well into the school year. While they may start school as a group, children’s individual experiences, expectations and approaches will vary considerably – as will those of their family. Recognising and responding to this variation – rather than assuming that all children have the same experiences – is a critical if teachers are to develop and implement appropriate strategies to support transition.

In the next few months, many schools will be encouraging families to make decisions about enrolments for the following school year. This means that families may well be seeking information and talking with children about starting school; children will start to see and hear information about school; and teachers will be reflecting on the transition practices, people involved and the preparation required to implement these.

There is much that teachers can do to support children, families and their professional colleagues. Striking a balance between providing information and overwhelming parents and children is important – while starting school is a time of excitement and challenge, there will be other things happening for children and families as well.

In a recent project we talked with and visited early childhood settings and schools around the country to identify effective transition practices. Eight general practices were identified:

• connecting with children
• connecting with families
• connecting with professionals
• connecting with communities
• flexible and responsive transition programs
• recognising strengths, and
• reflective practice and building relationships.

Many teachers support the transition to school using strategies that reflect these practices. These strategies differ in different contexts and with different people involved. The core feature of having flexible and responsive transition programs is that these can be individualised – there is no sense that one set of practices will suit every context, every time.

These general practices reflect the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders in transition. In other words, transition is not something that only involves children. The transition to school involves transitions for families and teachers, and is important within both the school and broader communities. When considering strategies to support transition, it is important for teachers to consider how they engage with the broad range of stakeholders involved in, and affected by, the transition to school.