Transition: A Positive Start to School

The importance of transition… Starting school is a big step for you and your child. Your child’s first school experiences shape their interest in learning. A positive transition to school can improve your child’s attitude to school and their achievements – socially and academically. If your child has difficulties settling in to school, these difficulties may continue throughout school life.

Tips to support your child School enrolments start from May –Early enrolment gives you and your child plenty of time to get to know your child’s teacher and together plan to support your child’s positive start to school. Participate in transition-to-school programs –These help you and your child get a better understanding of what school will be like. –Local services organise their own transition-to-school programs, so please contact your school or early childhood service for more details. Contribute to the Transition Learning and Development Statement in October/November

Transition Learning and Development Statement Helps the sharing of information between you, your child’s early childhood service and the school Summarises your child’s strengths, interests and identifies how your child’s learning and development can be supported Has 2 parts - one for you to complete and one for your child’s early childhood educator to complete

What the Family needs to do… Provide information to support your child’s transition, which may include: –Background information about your child and family (family members, languages spoken at home) –Services your child has attended (kindergarten, childcare, specialist support) –Your views on your child starting school –Things you think will help your child settle into school

What the Family needs to do… Provide your child’s views about starting school, which may include: –What they are looking forward to –What things they would like to do at school –Things they want their new teacher to know about them –Things they think they will need help with Your child’s early childhood educator can help you complete this section

What the Educator does… Your child’s early childhood educator will write important information about your child’s learning and development. Once you have completed Part 1: the family, they will put it together and give you a copy to approve to send it to the school – you will have to sign the consent section. Your child’s early childhood educator will then send a copy to the school and give you a copy to keep. If you haven’t decided which school your child is going to, then you will get a copy of the Statement to forward to the school when you enrol your child.

Why is it important to share this information with the school? It will help your child to: –tell their Prep teacher what is important to them and what they think about starting school It will help you to: –tell the school and Prep teacher important things about your child and your family –identify things that will help your child transition to school –become more involved with your child’s transition to school It will help the Prep teacher to: –get a better understanding of your child and your family –plan learning and teaching programs for your child –plan additional support for your child

Further Information