Transitions are a part of a child's life, starting at an early age and occurring regularly. Some of these changes in routine, like child care drop off and going to bed, can occur daily. Other transitions, such as welcoming a sibling or switching to sleeping in a bed, occur occasionally. Some transitions are simple, and children settle quickly into their new routines. Others are complex and require children to learn new routines as well as expectations about how to behave in the new situations. How children handle transitions depends on many factors including their personality, developmental stage, and the support they receive. Adults play a major role in supporting children during these transitions by understanding what each child needs, establishing clear new routines, and providing messages of encouragement, just to name a few.
One major transition most children and their families’ experience is starting school. While generally an exciting time, this transition can be filled with mixed emotions, questions and worries for families and children. Working together, families and educators play a role in making this process as smooth as possible for children. Smooth transitions play a role in:
- Children adjusting quickly to the new school setting,
- Children being ready to learn, and
- Later school success.
The purpose of this website it to provide guidance and suggestions for:
- Pre-K and kindergarten educators in planning a quality transition process
- Community preschool and child care to understand their role in transitioning children into school, and
- Families in understanding what to possibly expect from schools and how to support their children’s transitions.
For more information, please click "Information for Educators", "Information for Families" and "Resources" on the left tabs.