Kindergarten Transitions
The transfer of the children from home or preschool settings to the formal kindergarten education is what kindergarten transitions engage in. This transition is important as it plays a significant role in the children's emotional, social, and academic developing and it is a basis of future learning experiences.
The effects of emotions on children can be very different. Some children may be very happy about the idea of making new friends and learning new things, but some of them may feel anxious or scared about the fact that as they go to an unfamiliar place. For instance, the kids who are used to working on a set timetable every day probably will have a hard time adapting to the unexpected changes, therefore, it is essential for moms and dads to speak about these emotions frankly and offer the comfort.
A very good way of training kids to be confident is for parents to take them on a tour of the kindergarten classroom, where they can meet the teacher and discuss what they will do there. One more way to introduce the children to the new environment is to take part in activities that stimulate their independence like dressing alone or learning to follow simple instructions. For example, participating in social activities that help children learn sharing and taking turns will help them gain confidence.
Based on the statement above, it is evident that teachers have an important part in shaping the transition of children into different school environments through the creation of a welcoming environment and the implementation of transition programs. In addition, they can organize support-oriented activities that mainly aim at both social and academic adaptation of the children. For instance, the introduction of the ‘getting to know you’ week in which the children get to do fun icebreakers will help in making new friends and also get rid of the anxiety they might be harboring.
Most schools are rich in resources of the kind such as, for instance, parent workshops, transition guides and support groups that handle the obstacles caused by the transition to kindergarten. Resources that target social skills and early literacy might be found in local libraries and community centers as well. To illustrate, classrooms on parenting skills that are run by parents for their children to attend who are about to enter school can be very useful.