Transitions
Transition begins when children enter the preschool environment, it continues as they prepare to move into Kindergarten and is ongoing throughout their life. Starting preschool is often the first big milestone for children and their families and planning for a positive experience is key to developing resilient, confident and adaptable dispositions.
How We Support Transition To Preschool
• Scheduled orientations for children and families to meet educators, tour the preschool, play and ask questions. Additional visits scheduled in response to individual family/child’s needs.
• Starting preschool social story provided as part of enrolment pack. Story includes photos of the faces, places and spaces to assist children to become familiar with their new preschool.
• Educators are committed to establishing relationships and consistent rituals with children that are based on trust, respect and kindness
• Plan made between educators and families in managing anxiety during first few weeks at preschool
• Open communication, including the sharing of photos, that support the settling in/transition process
• Regular opportunities for parent/teacher yarns
• Planned incursions/excursions that allow children to experience and practise social skill sets in different contexts
How We Support Transition To Kindergarten
Transition to more formal schooling is a collaborative process and one which should involve all stakeholders, including the child. At SMCP we work closely with local schools to build authentic connections that recognise that continuity of learning is best supported by the sharing of information. As part of this process the Transition to School Statement is completed by educators and is then sent to each child’s school of choice. The Transition to School Statement;
• Summarises a child’s strengths, interest and approaches to learning
• Passes this information between families, early childhood teachers and educators
• Gives children a voice in the process if meeting new people in the school environment
Our team of educators are committed to:
• Maintaining relationships with key workers at local schools
• Planning opportunities for children to visit local schools, participate in community events or have students from local schools visit us at preschool
• Supporting children to participate in transition programs run by local schools, such as Little Learners (every Friday morning from 9-10.30am at SMP, usually starting in Term 3)
• Meeting with Kindergarten teachers to share information and learning strategies for children, especially for children who may require additional support
• Exploring aspects of transition to school as part of our Educational Program
• Completing Transition to School Statements as the summative assessment in our planning cycle
