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Kindergarten Transition Guidelines
 From the May 2001 Early Childhood newsletter.A successful transition to kindergarten requires effort from both educators and parents, according to Robert Pianta, the William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor of Education at the University of Virginia. Dr. Pianta notes that studies and surveys both indicate that the most important skills children need for kindergarten are those that make them ready to learn, such as paying attention, following directions, taking turns, and interacting positively with the other children. Dr. Pianta terms these "approach skills," as they indicate a child’s ability to approach instruction and classroom activities. Academic skills, such as letter recognition and ability to count, are important too, says Dr. Pianta, but children without these skills are usually able to learn them quickly. The approach skills, says Dr. Pianta, are more difficult to acquire. Joint Efforts Are Essential However, Dr. Pianta emphasizes that parents, preschools, and kindergarten teachers can work together to ensure a successful transition and address any challenges during the transition process. Preschools can help their students develop approach skills by employing activities such as circle time or small group activities. These allow children to learn the importance of cooperation, sharing, and staying on task. Parents, reminds Dr. Pianta, have an important role in helping their children learn about the world around them. Parent-child activities such as reading books and doing puzzles are very important, as are conversations about day-to-day events, such as trips to the grocery store. Dr. Pianta emphasizes that a child’s awareness of his or her world is an important ingredient in readiness for formal learning. Dr. Pianta also recommends that parents take their children to visit their schools before classes begin. Meeting the teacher and discussing the activities and expectations of kindergarten will help children feel less anxious and more confident about the new experience. "The more a parent can make [the transition] personable for the child, the better," affirms Dr. Pianta. The transition process for children with disabilities should include the same elements as the process for typically developing children, with some important additions. All parents should take an active role in communicating with the new school. Dr. Pianta suggests that parents of children with special needs schedule a meeting with their children’s future teachers and administrators in the spring before kindergarten entrance to discuss both their children’s needs and past school experience. The children’s preschool teachers should be included in the meeting as well. Support For Adjustment Difficulties According to recent research conducted by Dr. Pianta and his co-author, Martha Cox, teachers report that 48% of children have difficulties with the transition process. Children who struggle with the transition can sometimes be labeled by their teachers and treated differently than the other children. This, says Dr. Pianta, can have a negative snowball effect on a child’s future school performance. But Dr. Pianta notes that adjustment difficulties can be overcome with proper intervention. To this end, Dr. Pianta recommends that schools address any adjustment difficulties by early October, with a parent conference and possible classroom observation by the school psychologist. He notes that schools often wait until November to schedule the first parent conferences of the year. The danger in this, says Dr. Pianta, is that "the adjustment difficulties can already begin to snowball." Solving any adjustment difficulties can sometimes be as easy as placing the teacher physically closer to a child during classroom activities or making activity groups smaller. A child may need to have academic activities adjusted to his or her ability level, or may need some extra help from the teacher and his or her parents to reinforce social and emotional skills. Emphasizes Dr. Pianta: "With the right amount of support, every child can make a successful transition."
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