Overview
Relationships are essential to supporting successful transitions, particularly after disrupted kindergarten participation. Each relationship will take time to establish and will be unique for every child and family.
Transitions are a critical time in which children and families make decisions about their feelings of belonging and connection with a service and its teachers, educators and staff, and other children who attend.
During any disruption to kindergarten program delivery it is important to remember successful transitions take time and are unique for each child, family and educator.
Relationships are the basis of educators' work with children, families, each other and the wider community, and are the essential element in supporting effective transitions for all.
Planning and communicating for transition
As with any transition, ensuring partners have a voice is important.
Partnering with families and children to plan for restarting regular program attendance and the initial transition period will support everyone's needs and aspirations.
It is important to establish consistent and clear communication with families during the disruption.
It is equally important to consider the best ways to communicate with families leading up to and during the re-engagement phase.
For reflection:
- How will you connect with children and families before the re-engagement to find out their hopes, concerns and ideas to support the transition?
- What strategies will you use to support a sense of belonging and re-engagement for children and families?
- How will you communicate these strategies?
Partnerships with families
The respectful and responsive relationships teachers and you have built with families before the disruption are important to reconnecting with families and children after a disruption.
This is an important time to work together to ensure the service is a place where children can reach their full potential in a supportive environment.
Valuing children's family and cultural knowledge, and sharing and connecting with families in various ways will support positive outcomes.
Acknowledging families' essential contributions to their children's learning and development, especially during this difficult period, helps them to identify as partners in their child's education.
Sharing a child's competencies, strengths and achievements with their family helps alleviate feelings that this disruption will have long-term consequences for learning.
For reflection:
- Have you considered planning a coordinated approach to reconnecting and re-establishing relationships with families and children?
- In what ways will you reassure families and share the strengths of children during this time?
Transition to school
After any disruption to kindergarten program delivery, it is particularly important that services, schools and communities work with children and families to support successful transitions to school.
Kindergarten teachers have an important role in working with families and local primary schools to promote positive transitions.
Schools will ensure they are ready for a new group of young learners by partnering with the people who know each child best, their families and kindergarten teachers.
Through strong reciprocal partnerships with kindergarten program providers, schools will understand the contexts for learning each child has experienced and how to make connections to support continuity in Prep.
For reflection:
- Who are the transition partners in your community and how will you connect with them to support every child's successful transition to Prep?
- How are you developing strong connections with local primary school teachers to strengthen children's continuity of teaching and learning?
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