Transitions
by Edye Katz, Learning Specialist
As an early childhood educator, August is always bittersweet - the last days of summer are approaching, and the new school year is upon us. During the last two weeks of August, educators at TCEE attend teacher orientation, where we get to learn about our school’s philosophy, prepare and change the classroom environments, reach out to the children and families, and participate in wonderful professional development workshops.
As a parent, the transition between summer camp and the beginning of school can create anxiety not only for myself, but also for my son. The amount questions or unknown factors can produce uncertainty - curiosity of who is in his class, who is his teacher, and where will his classroom be located. For my son, this transition also produces some behavior outbursts triggered by the unknown.
To prepare him for the upcoming school year, I created tools which help predict what comes next. According to Melissa Racioppa, chair and assistant professor of psychology in the Child Life School of Health Professions and Education at Utica University, “(r)outines not only help alleviate feelings of uncertainty for children but also help them thrive in other areas of their life.”
To help ease the beginning of the school transitions, here are some techniques that I have used in the past:
Create a morning routine that is consistent and realistic for your family. Start practicing this routine before the first day of school. Try to create a calm and regulated structure so that everyone leaves the home in a place of peace rather than frazzled.
Dr. Frank C. Worrell, professor of education at The Berkely School of Education explains, “The goal of routines is to provide a sense that the
world is a predictable and understandable place, which fosters a sense of agency and self-control. Routines matter, although there are times when one has no choice but to step outside of the regular routine. It is less about being rigid than about being consistent.”
Preview/Review helps children understand what the day will look like. For instance, first we are going to get dressed then we will eat breakfast. For Toddlers, they experience everything through their senses. These routines create comfort for the children such as hearing the same clean up song, or flickering the light to show what is coming next. Preschoolers are very concrete with their thinking, meaning what they see is what they expect. Use one-word cues and simple instructions when talking about the routine.
Reassure your child of the drop-off and pick up plan and that you will always return at the end of the day. This will build trust and confidence in your child.
Visual cues are beneficial because a child can point to the pictures and understand the steps that are involved with the transition. We create a visual daily schedule at home as well as a calendar color coded for older children.
Be flexible when realizing when a routine is not going as planned and understand that some changes within the routine might need to be changed. Most importantly, don’t dissolve the purpose of the routine but be able to adjust the needs of your family.
Read about starting a new school, separating from caregivers, or what to do when you are nervous. Here is a book list with these and many more topics associated with transitions and change.
Communicate with the teachers on how the transition back to school is going and use them as resources. While it might be the first time for your family to experience or the first time your child is, so having check ins with the teachers builds trust and cooperation as we partner with you.
Take advantage of these previews and be prepared that some emotions might come out right away and some come later in the year. It is an exciting time for your child’s first school experience so always feel free to reach out with any concerns or questions.