1. Transitioning
to Kindergarten

2. Transition What is a transition? What outcomes do we want?
How should we go about getting those outcomes?
What planning needs to take place to ensure a smooth transition?
Transition

3. High quality transition practices
“Transition becomes a process that is shared and experienced simultaneously by all of the institutions and persons.”
Harvard Family Research Project
High quality transition practices

4. Transitioning to kindergarten can be a stressful event for parents and students
Kindergartners and their parents can feel overwhelmed easily as they leave the comforts of a smaller preschool setting
Ensuring that children get off to a good start in kindergarten is critical

5. Helping Families Transition

6. Harvard Family Research Project (March 2015)
Transition can be an equity issue
Children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds begin school typically with more skills in comparison with children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
Low-income households may have less access to high- quality preschool opportunities, fewer resources, less social support than do high-income households

7. What We Know About Children
A child needs…
Experience interacting with adults
Familiarity with cooperating
Experience following directions
These are important to a successful transition!
used with permission 3/17/15
Rous, Hallam, Harbin, McCormick & Jung, 2006

8. What We Know About Families
Family involvement in a child’s education makes a difference
Personal contact with the school (preferably with the child’s teacher) before school starts helps to build successful transitions
Families can help prepare students for school (i.e. reading to children, visiting a library, singing songs, playing games, etc.)
used with permission 3/17/15
Rous, Hallam, Harbin, McCormick & Jung, 2006

9. Parents expressed concerns about their children attending a new school
56%
Incoming kindergarteners experienced some problems with transitioning
48%
42-56%
Parents expressed concerns about their children's behavior problems and ability to follow directions in kindergarten
Havard Family Research Project; Havard Graduation School of Education

10. The Transition Process
Child and Family Preparation
Child and Family Adjustment
Critical Interagency Variables
Standard Transition Practices, Strategies and Activities
Child Success in School
Alignment and Continuity
Supportive Infrastructure
Communication and Relationships
Child, family, staff, program
Community program visits
Open houses
Cross agency training
Transition fair
Parent handbooks, etc.
Types of learning experiences, appropriateness of the curriculum expectations
Ongoing at all levels of the system
Policies, interagency agreements, formal and informal supports
Results and degree to which child and families are prepared for and adjust to the new environment
used with permission 3/17/15 Rous, Hallam, Harbin, McCormick & Jung, 2006

11. Current Research Available
Effect of Transition on Child Outcomes (Schulting, Malone & Dodge, 2005)
Transition at Kindergarten from NCEDL (Pianta et al., 2002)
National Head Start/Public School Transition Study (Ramey, et al.,2000)
Transition to Preschool from NECTC (Rous, Hallam & McCormick, 2005)
used with permission 3/17/15 Rous, Hallam, Harbin, McCormick & Jung, 2006

12. Key indicators of a successful transition to kindergarten include:
Ramey, et al., 2000
Schulting, Malone & Dodge, 2005
Key indicators of a successful transition to kindergarten include:
Families show positive attitudes toward school and learning
Teachers recognize and value difference
Linkage of all stakeholders in positive and mutually supporting focused efforts
Transition practices
Information about K phoned or sent home
Preschoolers spend time in the K classrooms
School days are shortened at beginning of year
Parents and children visit K before school starts
Teachers visit student homes before school starts
Parents attend orientation before school starts
Other transition activities provided
used with permission 3/17/15
Rous, Hallam, Harbin, McCormick & Jung, 2006

13. Most common practices were:
Rous, Hallam & McCormick, 2005
Transition practices
Most Common:
Talk with parents AFTER school starts
Letter to parents AFTER school starts
Talk with parents BEFORE school starts
Pianta et al., 2002
Most common practices were:
Talk with families AFTER school starts
Letter to families AFTER school starts
Open house AFTER school starts
Least common practices were:
home visiting (before or after)
a visit to the preschool
used with permission 3/17/15
Rous, Hallam, Harbin, McCormick & Jung, 2006

14. 56% of our general education parents are worried about transitioning from preschool to kindergarten
Discuss how you might help parents of special needs students weather the storm

15. Successful Transition Strategies

16. Successful transition
planning should be viewed as “on-going” throughout the year instead of a “one-time event.”

17. Transition Activities
Collaborative transition teams
Teams can include families, teachers and community preschools
Work portfolios
Portfolios can provide a comprehensive view of a child’s progress throughout the course of the school year
Preparing the students
Children need to be actively prepared during the PK school year to be successful once they transition to kindergarten
Individualized communication
Communication with teachers, families and children should be encouraged

19. Transition Activities
Feedback surveys
Data can be used to gain perspective and valuable information from current kindergarten teachers and parents
Transition Activities
Professional development Providing training to kindergarten and preschool staff jointly allows teachers to gain perspective of both grade level expectations
Alignment
Preschools can align their assessments, standards and curriculum help make a smooth transition to kindergarten
Dissemination of information
Information can be provided through parent meetings, reading materials, videos, or online resources for parents to assist with the transition

20. Transition Activities
Meet the Teachers
Having kindergarten teachers come visit the preschool classrooms helps familiarize the students with who they are
Orientation
Planning a kindergarten orientation can provide parents and students the chance to see the new school or classrooms
Festivals and Fairs
Learning about your new school through games and activities can be a fun way to introduce children to their new school
Have kindergarten booths set up around the school staffed with knowledgeable kindergarten personnel ready to answer any questions parents might have
Parent Panel Night
Having a parent panel of current kindergarten parents to help answer basic questions about kindergarten can give nervous parents a parent perspective on the big transition

21. Transition Activities
Kinder Camp
Camps provide preschool students the opportunity to come to kindergarten for a day and experience what kindergarten is like; i.e. circle time, a desk work activity, recess, etc.
Guest Speakers
Speakers can be brought in to inform parents about development, curriculum, social skills, etc.
Enrollment Procedures
District procedures should be posted and made accessible for parents prior to registration
Opportunities for Discussion
Teachers should provide opportunities for parents discuss their child's kindergarten transition

22. Transition Activities
Observations
Observations can provide valuable information for the kindergarten staff as well as give preschool teachers the opportunity to share educational strategies
Staffings
Staffings between preschool and kindergarten staff, prior to the transition ARD gives teachers the opportunity to discuss the student’s needs and strengths
Teach Kindergarten Expectations
Preschool teachers should gradually increase expectations for students who will be entering kindergarten
Mainstreaming
Mainstreaming preschoolers into kindergarten activities, (i.e. music, art, P.E., circle time, etc.) at the end of the year, can help students see what kindergarten will be like

25. Activity Read through the Transition Activity Ideas by Connections.
What is the current plan your district has?
Discuss the types of transition activities listed that might benefit the PPCD students you serve.
Are there any activities you might add to your transition planning?
Activity

26. Transition Planning
for Schools

27. Provide all the information needed to the receiving school
Relay information about unfinished business to receiving school
Coordinate transition activities between schools to help ease parent and child into the new school
Discuss all aspects of transitioning with the receiving school personnel

28. Transitioning
Checklist

31. Conclusion Transition does not occur in isolation
Build a transition team
Identify transition outcomes first and then align your strategies to match
Small changes and successes can lead to BIG changes
Select manageable goals that will make the biggest impact on children and families
Determine and monitor your progress
Conclusion

32. Properly informed staff and parents can make difficult transitions easy!
Put the time in now, to save time, frustration and struggle later on.
Conclusion

33. Helpful Web links

34. Sonja Hollan

35. Kristina Parr