Identify a transition that may be experienced by a child or group of children. What sort of support could be provided by practitioners to help children experiencing this transition?

As children grow they experience a number of changes, such as starting primary school, moving to secondary school but some may also experience differences in circumstances such as moving home or parents divorce. These changes are often referred to as transitions, Newman and Blackburn (2001, cited in Leverett, S, 2008, p209) define a transition as any occurrence where children have to cope with difficult episodes of change. The resilience of the child will determine how well they move from one transition to the next.

Children undergo many transitions throughout their lives, moving from one environment to another. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, cited in Leverett, S, 2008, pp 209/212) ecological model contains norms and rules that interact with each other and highlights that the child is an active participant in their own life. It further supports the notion that children live within different communities which all impact upon the child’s behaviour and development. By using this model it can help practitioners to understand and interpret the behaviour of the child. Book 1 Chapter 6 supports Bronfenbrenner’s theory that a child belongs to a system of networks which are interconnected by showing how a teacher believed that a child was bullying others. This was out of character and after contacting the parents it was established that there had been a disruption at home which had led to the girl feeling frustrated.

Transitions need to be carefully planned especially when a child begins school this is particularly the case when a child is vulnerable. Others may be more resilient and be able to develop successful coping strategies. The child’s journey through different stages should be a continuous progression. To enable a positive transition it is important not to only look at the child and their immediate environment, but also at the interaction of the surrounding environment. Therefore it is vital that teachers and parents should work to create a setting that nurtures and supports the child and their development.

Children often attend early year’s settings from the age of three years old and many may be younger. For children who do not attend formal early childhood education the transition usually takes place from home to school. Beginning school is a major transition for children it involves not only a change in routine but also emotional adjustments. School is described as being one of the major challenges which children have to face in their early childhood years and further claims have been made that the way in which the transition is managed sets the stage not only for children’s success at school, but also their response to future transitions (Docket and Perry 2001). A positive transition for children from nursery to primary is imperative so that children feel safe and confident in the new environment, in order for them to continue to learn effectively.

This is a preview of the whole essay

When children begin school they have to make sense of discontinuities and new routines, such as changes within the physical environment or to the peer group. It may also be due to the difference between nursery and school, being that the emphasis in nursery is on play and child centred lessons, whilst primary school focuses on subjects and lessons, taking a more formal approach including rules and regulations. This can leave children feeling anxious or nervous, as I work in a close community nursery I often see children who have moved onto primary school, many parents note that the child found the work load hard which in turn meant their child was often in trouble, some also commented on the warmth of Pre School staff, explaining that the child missed having cuddles and were not keen on the more authorative role of their new teachers.

In order to ease the transition to school teachers must be aware of the concerns felt by children. In order to understand experiences and concerns of children we need to empower them and allow them to participate. In 1989 the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was introduced. This convention applies to all young people under 18, and was the first to take a child’s rights based approach in additions to human rights. In article 12 the UNCRC declares that, ‘all children and young people must be listened to, and have their opinions taken seriously in all decision-making that affects them’ (Article 12, UNCRC).

Participation is a way to involve children enabling them to be acknowledged in an adult society. Children’s participation is also reflected upon in the audio material, it is suggested that adults must provide and deliver services to the children who require them, and it is important that adults listen to the children’s views so they can improve the services which they deliver. In reality however, this is not always put into practice as some practitioners still need to learn how to listen and understand children instead of speaking for them. Activities such as the diamond ranking exercise would enable children to express what concerns them about their move to primary school furthermore this activity can be adapted and used by children with disabilities.

By allowing the children to participate it may be found the transition to school will involve many feelings, such as loss and sadness at missing family or losing friends, or also feelings of happiness by making new friends and gaining more independence. Mayo (2005, cited in Leverett, S, 2008, p 247) notes the importance of peer support during transitions, it is believed that friends can play an important part in transitions by offering each other support and comfort. Margetts (2005, cited in Leverett, S, 2008, p 262) highlighted that being in the company of a familiar friend helps to improve the chance of the child adjusting to a new school. Peer mentoring schemes, often referred to as ‘buddy systems’, can be set up which allow an older more experienced pupil to take care of the new pupils by passing on their knowledge. This scheme was also adopted by Terrace Road School, (Video 3, “Relationships”) new members had been voted into the school council and were given advice and assistance by some of the more experienced, older members.

Whilst peer support contributes to a positive transition, continuity also plays a vital role. As Bronfenbrenner suggests a child’s network is interconnected and parents being involved in their child’s schooling will help to establish continuity between home and school. Various schools will allow parents to become involved in events or open days. However this can often happen over just one day, Mayo (2005, cited in Leverett, S, 2008, p 247) explains that some schools in Australia allow parents, and even grand parents to take part in a number of activities and games over a much longer period. This helps to ease the transition to school as the child is less anxious and more supported. The Reggio Emilia approach to child care adopts a policy which keeps the same group of children and teachers together for a period of three years, providing continuity for the child and it also enables the children and teacher to develop a close relationship (http://www.reggioemiliaapproach.net/about.php).

Another way teachers can support a child’s move to school is by visiting the children in their pre school class and asking if they have any concerns, it further allows the teacher to see how the children interact and also talk to nursery staff to enquire about any major problems. This process is used by my current setting and the pre school children usually feel excited by the end of the meeting as they get to know their new teacher. I have suggested we could try other possibilities such as joining the reception class for assembly once a fortnight during summer term which would let the pre school children to become familiar with the building. Role play activities may be of benefit by allowing the children to dress up in school uniform and use dinner trays to prepare them for lunch time.

As mentioned previously transitions can provoke feelings of uncertainty and nervousness and teachers and parents need to be aware of these feelings and the reasons behind them. Good practitioners should be able to offer support to not only the child but to the parents as well. Cairns (2002, cited in Leverett, S, 2008, p 269) explains that adults working closely with children facing transitions should encourage the child to become emotionally literate, allowing the children to identify and communicate their thoughts and feelings. This can be achieved in many ways, group circle time, poetry or through drawings created by the children, whichever way these feelings are communicated it is essential that teachers listen to and act upon them. This is not always easily done as children may not want to reveal their feelings, however by providing a safe environment and having a positive relationship with the child it can encourage them to fully express themselves. Some children or those with learning difficulties might have a limited understanding in relation to their thoughts and feelings. Strategies such as the diamond ranking exercise which can use pictures and can enable children to communicate their feelings, even if only at the minimal of levels.

The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge (DfES, 2005) is a set of common values setting out basic skills needed for practitioners working with children. The common core skills highlight that positive communication is vital between teachers, children and parents/carers. It is important that teachers show understanding, respect and are trustworthy. To include all children staff must be able to develop and use effective communication depending upon their audience. Just as some children chose not to communicate, some children can not communicate verbally. A supportive practitioner should be aware of and make use of various styles of communication depending on the child needs and abilities. My youngest child is 4 years old and has speech and language problems. With help from the pre schools SENCO and my child’s speech therapist, all staff and I learned how to use Makaton, my child has now been using this method of communication for 8 months and he is much less frustrated as he can communicate his needs and be understood.

While the transition to school may be difficult for children, it is often harder for those with disabilities. The children may feel anxious as preschool usually consists of small groups and lots of individual attention, whereas at primary, classrooms have more children and less teaching staff per child. Usually parents/carers of a child with a disability play a vital role for providing information about the child, it is essential that they are actively involved and are kept informed at all times. To support these children, practitioners should show an understanding and commitment to inclusive practice and recognize the importance of building strong relationships with not only parents but with colleagues working in health and social services and education, especially if further support is required for the child.

All transitions during childhood are important but moving into school is one of the first major transitions a child will make. Children beginning school have many years ahead of them, as a result it is highly important to begin with a positive approach. When supporting children with their transition to school practitioners must be aware and sympathetic to the needs of the child. To support the child, the practitioner must have good communication skills not only with the children, but with parents and other colleagues, to do this teachers must be trustworthy and understanding. I feel that a child’s transition to school is affected by the lack of continuity, changes with the environment and the change in the curriculum. As children need stability, it is obvious that some children will not cope well with the changes, however with support and consideration from adults around them children could adjust better. It is important that teachers enable children to be active participants, it may be that methods used need to be adapted in order to include all children, but by doing this practitioners can gain a better understanding and knowledge of children’s thoughts and concerns.

WORD COUNT - 2011

References

DfES, 2005, Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children’s Workforce, DfES Publications, Nottingham

Dockett, S. & Perry, B. (2001) ‘Starting School: effective transitions’, Early Childhood, Research and Practice

Leverett, S. (2008) ‘Understanding transitions’ in Foley, P and Leverett, S. (eds) Connecting with children; developing working relationships, Bristol, The Policy Press/Milton Keynes, The Open University (KE312 Course Book 1, chapter 6)

Leverett, S. (2008) ‘Working with children and transitions’ in Foley, P and Leverett, S. (eds) Connecting with children; developing working relationships, Bristol, The Policy Press/Milton Keynes, The Open University (KE312 Course Book 1, chapter 7)

Open University (2008) KE312, Working together for children, DVD Video, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Saltley Cluster, Birmingham, ‘Connecting with children’, Milton Keynes, The Open University

United Nations (1989) Convention on the Rights of the Child, United Nations, Geneva.

http://www.reggioemiliaapproach.net/about.php - last accessed 2nd April 2008