HEAD START®

Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community

Table of Contents | Preface | Introduction | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3 | Continuing Professional Development | Informational Resources Section

introduction

Overview

Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity is the first in a series of transition training guides.

Purpose

This guide supports Head Start's efforts to improve long-term school success and continue comprehensive services for children by ensuring their effective transitions to different settings from birth through age eight.

Outcomes

After completing this training, participants will meet the following guide outcomes:

• Identify elements and requirements of effective transition practices
  
  
• Support children and families preparing for and experiencing transition
  
  
• Develop transition practices to facilitate continuity between settings

Audience

This foundation guide is written for all Head Start staff and families. It supports their efforts to ensure smooth transitions for young children and their parents. In addition to the Head Start family, this guide is also a vehicle for each Head Start grantee to extend an invitation to other members of their local early childhood community, such as elementary school, preschool, child care, and health and social services staff.

Key Terms

Providing high quality early childhood experiences is a common goal shared by early childhood staff. Quality experiences occur in a variety of care and education settings–home, school, family day care, child care centers, Head Start center-based and home-based programs, preschools, and elementary schools. As children develop from birth throughout childhood they move, or transition, from one learning environment or setting to a new one. Often, these transitions involve a process of change that requires a period of adjustment for the child and family.

To help these families adapt to change, staff need to provide as much continuity of education, care, and services as possible. This is accomplished when staff from the old setting (senders) and new setting (receivers) work together. Therefore, future experiences of children build upon previous experiences and supports to families remain available.

Programs facilitate continuity when they implement these effective transition practices:

• Provide ongoing transition activities that support families and children
  
  
• Share information among key partners
  
  
• Develop communitywide supports through collaborative planning

Performance Standards

The Head Start Program Performance Standards require that grantees establish and maintain procedures to support successful transitions for enrolled children and families from previous child development programs or homes into Head Start and from Head Start into elementary schools or child care settings. This process includes:

• Coordinating the transfer of records with schools, other agencies, and parents
  
  
• Encouraging communication among Head Start staff and their counterparts in schools, other child development programs, and agencies, as well as parents, to facilitate continuity of programming
  
  
• Initiating meetings involving parents, kindergarten or elementary school teachers, other child care staff, and Head Start teachers
  
  
• Initiating joint transition-related training of school or other child care staff and Head Start staff

Organization

This foundation guide is divided into two sections: Skill-Based Training and Informational Resources.

The Skill-Based Training section includes three training modules. Since they build upon each other, they are most effective when used in sequence. This section of the guide makes reference to materials found in the Informational Resources section, but the usefulness of these materials extends beyond this guide. Before beginning any module, trainers should conduct the Introductory Activity: Beginning the Journey, found at the end of the Introduction.

Introductory Activity: Beginning the Journey helps participants understand the importance of providing external support during transitions. Participants identify their program's current activities that provide a foundation for developing effective transition practices. Participants also receive the Journey Bag and Pocket Guides that are used throughout the training modules.

Skill-Based Training Section

Module 1: Transition and Change helps participants understand that transition is an ongoing process of adapting to change that involves these stages: letting go, uncertainty, and taking hold. Participants develop skills in identifying and developing the supports that children and families need during transition. In addition, participants develop appropriate expectations based on the individual and developmental needs of children in transition.

Module 2: Transition and Continuity helps participants understand the importance of sharing information with key partners to facilitate continuity during transitions. Participants develop skills in working as part of a team to provide ongoing services, supports, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences.

Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity helps participants identify common goals of families and the early childhood community and helps them appreciate the skills and resources that each contribute. Participants begin to develop skills to plan, implement, and evaluate transition practices and policies collaboratively with parents and key community partners.

Informational Resources Section

The Informational Resources section contains several important documents that will enhance your understanding of the major concepts discussed in this guide. This section contains four types of documents and suggestions on how to use them.

• Digests: Summarize fundamental information on the topics of transition, change, continuity, and support. The brief articles reflect current research and express a consensus of expert views on transition issues.
  
  
• Program Profiles: Provide descriptions of transition programs from within and outside of Head Start. The examples reflect the diverse nature of programs throughout the country.
  
  
• Hands-on Activities: Offer examples of concrete transition activities for individuals to try in their own home or program.
  
  
• Resources: List additional resource materials, including books, journal articles, videotapes, and other documents.

Definition of Icons

Icons, distinguishing the four types of learning activities in this guide, are explained below.

(C) Coaching

A training strategy that fosters the development of skills through tailored instruction, demonstrations, practice, and feedback. The activities are written for a coach to work closely with one to three participants.

(W) Workshop

A facilitated group-training strategy that fosters the development of skills through activities that build on learning through group interaction. These activities are written for up to twenty-five participants working in small or large groups with one or two trainers.

Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice

These are additional activities assigned by the trainer immediately following the completion of the module to help participants review key information, practice skills, and examine their progress toward expected outcomes of the module.

Continuing Professional Development

These are follow-up activities for the program to support staff development in the regular use of the skills addressed in a particular training guide. The activities include:

1. Opportunities for the participant to continue building on the skills learned in the training
   
   
2. Ways to identify new skills and knowledge needed to expand and/or complement these skills through opportunities in such areas as higher education, credentialing, or community educational programs

AT A GLANCE

Modules

* = Refer to Informational Resources Section
(W) = Workshop Activity
(C) = Coaching Activity

Introduction

Activity: Introductory Activity: Beginning the Journey (W)
Time: 60-90 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Invitation to Embark on a Journey
Journey Bag, Pocket Guides 1, 2, and 3
*Digest: A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities
Personal object
Pocket folders

Module 1: Transition and Change

Activity 1-1: Activity 1-1: The Change Process (W)
Time: 45-60 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change
Handout 2: Timeline for Adapting to Change
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide I
Newsprint, markers

Activity 1-2: Families Changes (C)
Time: Two 30-60 90 minute sessions.
Materials and Resources:
Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change
Handout 3: Children and Change
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1

Activity 1-3: Pass the Baton (W)
Time: 60-90 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 4: Addressing Change
Handout 5: Involving All Staff
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1
Masking tape, paper towel roll

Activity 1-4: Developmental Spiral (W)
Time: 90-120 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 6: Developmental Spiral
Handout 7: Expectations and Supports That Match Developmental Needs
*Digest: A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1
Newsprint, markers, scissors

Activity 1-5: Going to Kindergarten (W)
Time: 90-20 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 8: Scenes of Support
Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support: Preschoolers/Kindergartners
Handout 10: Expectations and Supports That Match Individual Needs
*Digest: Transition to Kindergarten
*Hands-on Activities: Sample Transition Activities
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide I
Preschool props
Newsprint, markers

Activity 1-6: Bringing It All Together (C)
Time: Two 30-60 minute sessions
Materials and Resources:
Handout 5: Involving All Staff
Handout 10: Expectations and Supports That Match Individual Needs
Handout 11: Bringing It All Together
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide I

Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Activity 2-1: Setting Sail (W)
Time: 90-120 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 12: Sharing Information
Handout 13: Scenarios
Handout 14: Senders and Receivers
*Digest: Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2
Newsprint, markers

Activity 2-2: Partner Meeting (W)
Time: 45-60 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 15: Transition Issues
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2
Notepaper

Activity 2-3: Sender and Receiver Roles (C)
Time: Two 30-60 minute sessions
Materials and Resources:
Handout 12: Sharing Information
Handout 16: Kendra's Story
*Digest: Continuity of Care and the Importance of Relationships
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2

Activity 2-4: Setting Characteristics (W)
Time: 60-90 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 17: Settings and Continuity
*Hands-on Activities
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2
Newsprint, markers

Activity 2-5 Preparing the Child and Family (C)
Time: 30-60 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 17: Settings and Continuity
*Hands-on Activities
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2

Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity

Activity 3-1: Common Ground (W)
Time: 90-120 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3
Newsprint

Activity 3-2: Find a Partner (C)
A coaching adaptation of Activity 3-1: A Family We Know, designed for new managers.
Time: 20-40 minutes
Materials and Resources:
*Program Profiles
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3

Activity 3-3: Collaborative Potluck (W)
Time: 60-90 minutes
Materials and Resources:
Handout 18: Invitation to a Collaborative Potluck Dinner
Handout 19: Recipe for Collaborative Cake
Handout 20: Collaborating for Quality
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3
Paper plates, art materials

Activity 3-4: Adapting Promising Practices (C)
Time: Two 30-60 minute sessions
Materials and Resources:
*Program Profiles
Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3
Activity 3-5: What's in Your Journey Bag? (C)
Time: 45-60 minutes
Materials and Resources: Journey Bag, Pocket Guides

Introductory Activity: Beginning the Journey

Purpose: In this activity, participants identify individual and program experiences that provide a foundation for building effective transition practices.

Materials:

Invitation to Embark on a Journey
Journey Bag, Pocket Guides 1, 2, and 3
Digest: A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities (Informational Resources)
Personal object
Pocket folder for each participant

Trainer Preparation Notes:

By conducting this activity first, you introduce participants to effective transition practices and identify which practices are being implemented in their programs. This information will help you determine where to begin the training journey. Some participants will benefit most if you begin the training with Module 1 and work toward completing the full journey (Modules 1, 2, and 3). Others may need specific skills or information to help them improve their program practices. A shorter journey can begin with Module 2 or 3 and be tailored to meet the needs of participants.

Before the workshop, send an invitation to participants such as the Invitation to Embark on a Journey found in the Preface, or personally invite participants to the training. Ask them to bring a journey bag and a personal object that represents support that they received during a significant life change or transition. The item can be a photograph, a quote from an inspirational book, a stuffed animal from childhood, or any other symbol. Plan to bring your own personal item.

Find the Journey Bag graphic and three Pocket Guides at the end of this activity. You will distribute these journey materials during this activity and refer participants to them in each workshop and coaching activity in the guide. Either organize the materials ahead of time or have participants organize their materials by attaching the Journey Bag graphic to the cover of a pocket folder. Then fold the three Pocket Guides along the dotted lines and insert them into the Journey Bag folder.

Background Information

Effective transition practices are based on understanding that transition is a process, not a single event. Staff often plan an isolated event, such as an orientation day, to prepare children for a transition. However, one visit to a program does not prepare children and families for the new setting. In order to increase staff awareness of the process of transition, it is helpful to use a journey metaphor.

Journey Metaphor

Each transition is like a journey that takes time, preparation, and planning. Like a journey, the transition to a new setting offers children and families new opportunities. To benefit from these experiences, children and families need information and resources available before, during, and after they reach their destination.

Children are inexperienced adventurers and do not know what to expect in a new setting. They depend on their parents to guide them and provide ongoing support at each stage of a journey or each stage of a transition. Just as travelers often get lost or confused by unfamiliar places and customs, children and families are often unsure what is expected and where to find help. Like travelers who seek information and assistance from those familiar with the surroundings, children and families look for staff in new programs to assist them. Like any traveler, families and children cope better when they are welcomed into the new environment and find the help they need.

Staff from the old setting can help prepare families for new programs by assisting them in making individualized transition plans and by sharing information about the new setting. These staff can also help prepare those in the new setting for the new families. As information about the family priorities is shared, staff in the new setting can individualize their program to provide necessary supports. Preparing all involved in the transition helps children and families benefit from the new experiences.

Effective Transition Practices

Participants will be asked to envision the workshop and coaching sessions as a journey toward effective transition practices. As they collect information, identify strategies for improving practices, and engage in new activities, they move closer to their destinations-effective transition practices. Each module offers a different journey and helps participants develop skills and identify new strategies that lead toward effective practices. The journey destinations for each module can be summarized as follows:

• The destinations for Module 1: Transition and Change are transition practices that support the family and assist the child in transitioning to the next environment.
  
  
• The destinations for Module 2: Transition and Continuity are transition practices that provide ongoing services, supports, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children and families after leaving the program.
  
  
• The destinations for Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity are transition practices that encourage community partners to work together to maximize strengths and resources of the community.

Describe the Journey

1. Welcome participants to the journey toward effective transition practices. Use the information from the Background section to explain how transition is like a journey. Then discuss how the training is also like a journey.

Sharing Stories

2. Point out that each participant begins the journey with a personal perspective and understanding of transition. By sharing their personal object and its story, workshop participants will begin to understand the many different ways to support families and children in transition. Show participants the object that you brought to the workshop and explain how the object represents support you received during a transition. Then ask participants to share their personal object and transition stories.

Internal and External Supports

3. Point out that each participant brought an object and story that tells about an internal or an external support. Explain that internal supports are personal characteristics, skills, beliefs, and values. External supports refer to people, activities, and environments. Help the group identify their personal supports as internal or external ones. Then ask:
   
   
• How do you think the supports identified as internal ones relate to external ones? (For example, was a belief in yourself developed because someone else believed in you?)
  
  
• What internal supports might young children have?
  
  
• What role does the family have in helping children develop internal supports?

Relate Coping to Supports

4. Summarize the information contained in the Digest: A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities, located in the Informational Resources section, to explain how families help children develop internal supports.

Effective Transition Practices

5. Distribute the Journey Bag folder and explain that participants can organize the information collected throughout the training in this Journey Bag. Refer them to the three Pocket Guides. Explain that each one represents a different journey through a training module. Discuss the effective transition practices listed as destinations in the first column of each guide. Ask participants to list current practices under starting points and to highlight those destinations they would like to reach.

Assess Current Practices

6. Review and assess the practices that participants identified in their Pocket Guides. Help them choose a journey that will take them from where they are to where they want to be. Be sure to consider expanding the effectiveness of the training by inviting staff from other programs and agencies to participate in the sessions. You can use the following guidelines to tailor the training.
   
   
   • Participants whose current practices listed in Pocket Guide 1 indicate that transition efforts focus on one-time events and involve few staff members would benefit from the full journey beginning with Module 1 workshop and coaching activities.
     
     
   • Participants who listed more effective practices in Pocket Guide 1, but had few practices listed on Pocket Guide 2, would benefit if they began their journey with Module 1 or 2 workshop and coaching activities.
     
     
   • Participants who listed some effective practices for both Pocket Guides 1 and 2 would benefit if they began their journey with Module 1, 2, or 3 workshop and coaching activities.
     
     
   • Participants with some effective practices listed in each Pocket Guide would benefit from any journey, especially if it were conducted as joint training with other program staff.

Journey Point

You have now reached your first Journey Point, as indicated by the back-pack icon. Explain to participants that at each subsequent Journey Point, they will list strategies that will help them improve their practices and build on their experience. Have them personalize the Pocket Guide for the chosen journey by labeling and illustrating their destination on the cover.