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

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A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities

What Is Coping?

Coping is the process of adapting to meet personal needs and to respond to the changing demands of the environment. Each child's needs vary according to his developmental skills, age, and presence of a disability or other special need. The goal of coping is to increase feelings of well-being in threatening or challenging situations. Children cope with situations in order to feel good about themselves and their place in the world.

Coping and Learning

The more effectively a child copes, the more effectively she learns. Adaptive competence is determined by the match between demands placed on the child and the resources he has to manage those needs. Successful coping reflects sufficient internal and external resources for handling the demands of daily life and adult expectations of the child.

External Supports

Human and environmental supports need to be available to the child before she can develop coping capacity. The family provides the foundation for each child to build her own internal resources. Loving, responsive, consistent care, along with encouraging feedback, helps the child develop trust, security in the predictability of events, and an expectation of success. Other external resources include food, financial provision, shelter, clothing, and a stimulating environment that promotes curiosity and development.

Internal Supports

The developmental skills and individual strengths that a child possesses can be important internal supports. As the child's abilities and experiences increase, he gradually develops a sense of self. Coping is related to the child's perceived ability to have an effect on others and a sense of trust that adults will respond to the child's needs. These beliefs are related to the quality of attachment between a child and a caregiver. These skills and beliefs contribute to the child's adaptive competence.

Support Levels

Children at every level of development have to cope with stress. They cope with changes related to physical growth, the complexities of family life, and new experiences. In addition to normal stresses, many children must cope with multistressed environments. Knowledge about the demands an individual child must cope with is essential in setting appropriate expectations during a period of transition. The amount of support needed will depend on the developmental needs and capacity of the child to cope with change and specifically, with the demands of the new situation. Viewing the child's ability to cope as a capacity that develops over time and with adult support can ease transitions.

Adapted with permission from Williamson, G.G., "Assessment of Adaptive Competence" in ZERO TO THREE, Vol. 14, No. 6. ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families (1994).

Transition to Kindergarten

Parents, teachers, and other caregivers often have questions and concerns about preparing children for kindergarten. They wonder what children need to succeed in school and how they can help make sure children are ready for school.

What characteristics help children succeed?

Parents and teachers are similarly concerned about the characteristics that prepare children for transition into kindergarten and for ongoing school success. Findings from a national study reveal that parents and teachers agree that the ability to communicate is one of the most important indicators of school success. Besides communication skills, teachers identify enthusiasm and curiosity as critical characteristics that children need when entering kindergarten (United States Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement 1993). Parents believed that certain academic skills and the ability to pay attention were important, too.

Current research on school readiness stresses the importance of the characteristics that parents and teachers cited in the survey. When considering all the domains in child development, several characteristics emerge as predictors of successful kindergarten experiences and general school success. These include the ability to interact positively with peers in a group and to communicate with peers and adults in the home and school environments. In addition, it is important for children to be familiar with the concepts in the school curriculum (Katz 1990).

Why are these skills important?

From the time they take their first step into a new classroom, children are expected to learn new rules, make new friends, and cooperate with adults. Thus, before entering kindergarten, it is important that children have had many opportunities to develop social skills and take direction from caregivers (Katz 1991).

How can teachers and families help children develop these skills?

When parents and prekindergarten teachers provide opportunities for social interaction, they facilitate a child' s adjustment to kindergarten (Katz and McClellan 1991). Through peer interaction and adult guidance in conflict resolution, children gain a sense of self and begin to develop the skill of taking the perspective of another person. Through these play experiences, children develop communication and social skills that they use when adjusting to new environments (Oden 1987).

What else makes transitions easier?

The relationship between the teaching philosophy of a child's preschool and a new school also significantly affects the transition process (Maxwell and Eller 1994). The more similarity there is between a child's preschool program and the kindergarten program, the smoother the transition to kindergarten (United States Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement 1993).

Children have a natural disposition to learn. Early childhood educators enhance this motivation when they design a curriculum that engages children in activities that help them develop cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically. Classroom activities must also allow each child to develop at his own rate (Nurss 1987). Thus, developmentally appropriate curriculum practices in preschool and kindergarten (small group learning, hands-on experiences with concrete materials, and child led activities) greatly reduce the stress that children experience in school (Maxwell and Eller 1994).

Overall, children are best prepared for kindergarten if they develop a repertoire of social skills for interacting with other children and adults. Additionally, the transition is easier when there is continuity between previous and current school curricula that matches children's developmental levels. Children will flourish when teachers and parents provide a supportive, yet challenging environment, and view kindergarten as a time for children to learn about themselves, others, and their surroundings.

For Further Reading

Katz, L.G. 1987. What Should Children Be Learning? Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Katz, L.G. 1991. Readiness: Children and Schools. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Katz, L.G. and Diane McClellan. 1991. The Teacher's Role in Children's Social Development. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Maxwell, Kelly L. and Susan K. Eller. 1994. Children's Transitions to Kindergarten. Young Children 49: 56-63.

National Center for Education Statistics. 1993. Readiness for Kindergarten: Parent and Teacher Beliefs. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

Nurss, Joanne. 1987. Readiness for Kindergarten. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Oden, Sherry. 1987. The Development of Social Competence in Children. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services¹

In the early childhood field, the word transition is used in many different ways. Traditionally, transition has been used to describe the period of time that falls between two different types of activities. Transition may also be used to describe the time period in which children move from home to school, from school to after-school activities, from one activity to another within a preschool, or from preschool to kindergarten. In each case, early childhood professionals have been concerned with easing the transition between two different types of activities or environments.

Continuity: A Concept Revisited

With more and more children participating in early childhood programs before they enter school, there is an increasing focus on the transition that occurs when children move from preschool to kindergarten. Many children have problems adjusting to elementary school programs that have a different philosophy, teaching style, and structure than those programs in which they participated during their earlier years. Transition efforts were designed to help ease the entry into school by preparing both children and families for the differences children will encounter.

But more recently, there has been a growing consensus that the key to effective services for young children is less through bridging the gap between different types of programs, and more through ensuring continuity in certain key elements that characterize all good early childhood programs. This notion of continuity is not new. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, efforts such as Project Developmental Continuity and Follow-Through were designed to ensure that the principles of good early childhood programs continued into the early years of elementary school. But today's concept of continuity has changed in several respects. First, there is now much more consensus in the field regarding what constitutes appropriate practice in all types of early childhood programs from infancy through the primary grades. There is also growing recognition that parent involvement is a key to a child's success and should be encouraged as children move on to elementary school. Finally, the need for supportive services for both children and families has intensified. Comprehensive family support and health services are critical components throughout the early years.

Towards Continuity: Three Key Elements

If programs are to provide effective early childhood services throughout children's early years, they must share at least three characteristics: developmentally appropriate practice, parent involvement, and supportive services for children and families.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice. Continuity across early childhood services is facilitated by the degree to which all programs are developmentally appropriate. Naturally, the setting, age range, and abilities of the children will differ across programs. As children progress from preschool to kindergarten and on to the primary grades, they show increased motor and language skills, they can pay attention longer, they can play more cooperatively, and they are more able to develop interests that go beyond their immediate surroundings. Throughout the preschool and early elementary years, children learn best through active exploration of their environment and through interactions with adults, other children, and concrete materials that build on earlier experiences.

Programs for young children should not be seen as either play-oriented or academic. Rather, developmentally appropriate practice, whether in a preschool or a primary classroom, should respond to the natural curiosity of young children, reaffirm a sense of self, promote positive dispositions towards learning, and help build increasingly complex skills in the use of language, problem solving, and cooperation.

Parent Involvement. One hallmark of any successful early childhood program is the degree to which it involves parents. Such involvement should not stop when children reach the schoolhouse door. Good schools for young children welcome family members in ways that go well beyond traditional parent activities such as fundraising and annual parent-teacher conferences. Ongoing communication between parents and teachers has become increasingly important. Parents can be involved as decision makers, volunteers, and staff. They can participate in parent education and support groups, be encouraged to observe the classroom, and, in general, take a more active role in their child's education both at school and at home.

Schools also need to respond to the diversity among families. Parent activities need to be responsive to the language and culture of the family and be tailored to meet specific needs of teen parents, single parents, working parents, blended families, and families with special service needs. Given the increasing number of working parents with young children, employers can be supportive of parent involvement by providing release time for parent participation and by initiating policies that support work and family life.

Supportive Services. Effective early childhood programs, particularly those for low-income families, need to respond to the comprehensive needs of children and families for health care, child care, and other family supports. Traditionally, schools have not played a role in ensuring that such services are provided. Yet there is a growing recognition that schools are the natural hub for child and family services. New relationships between school and other health and human service providers are emerging as comprehensive services are integrated into public education.

Supportive services that include school and parent representation promote collaborative processes and community development. The uniting of school and community resources and concerns, and the clear recognition of the fact that the school is embedded in its community, sustain healthy environments and contribute greatly to continuity for children and families.

Conclusion

Traditional notions of transition, which focus on bridging the gaps between different types of early childhood programs, are changing. Because we now know that young children learn in similar ways throughout the early years, all programs in the community should adhere to developmentally appropriate principles from infancy through the primary grades. In addition, parent involvement, family support, and linkages to health services, which often characterize preschool programs, should continue into the early years of elementary school. It is through the continuity of such services, in and out of the classroom, that we will eventually move beyond a concern for transition and ensure continuous and effective services throughout the early years.

¹Lombardi, Joan. Beyond Transition:Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. 1992.

For More Information

Behrman, Richard (Ed.). The Future of Children: School Linked Services. Los Altos, California: Center for the Future of Children. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, 1992.

Bredekamp, S. (Ed.). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC, 1987.

Epps, Willie J. "Issues in Strengthening Linkages and the Transitions of Children," NHSA Journal 10 (Winter, 1991): 44-48.

Kagan, Sharon L. "Head Start, Families and Schools: Creating Transitions That Work," NHSA Journal 10 (Winter, 1991): 40-43.

Katz, Lilian G. Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1989.

Levy, J.E., and Copple, C. Joining Forces: A Report from the First Year. Alexandria, Virginia: National Association of State Boards of Education, 1989.

Lombardi, J. (Ed.). Easing the Transition from Preschool to Kindergarten. Washington, D.C.: Administration for Children, Youth and Families, OHDS, USDHHS, 1986. ED 313130.

Melaville, A., and Blank, M. What It Takes: Structuring Interagency Partnerships to Connect Children and Families with Comprehensive Services. Washington, D.C.: Education and Human Services Consortium, 1991. ED 330748.

National Association of State Boards of Education. Right from the Start. Alexandria, Virginia: National Association of State Boards of Education, 1987.

National Association of State Boards of Education. Caring Communities: Supporting Young Children and Families. Alexandria, Virginia: National Association of State Boards of Education, 1991.

"Position Statement: Guidelines for Appropriate Curriculum Content and Assessment in Programs Serving Children Ages 3 through 8." Young Children 46 (March, 1991): 21-38.

Continuity of Care and the Importance of Relationships

Young children need environments that offer security, protection, and intimacy. When they have a continuing relationship with a caregiver and are in a setting that promotes close relationships with other children and with parents, they develop a positive sense of self and social skills. As programs focus on the continuation of these relationships over time, children and family needs are more easily met. In addition, caregivers experience more job satisfaction and less stress.

Two vignettes adapted from ZERO TO THREE's Heart Start: The Emotional Foundations of School Readiness (1992) illustrate the difference a special relationship can make to a young child's experience in child care.

Impersonal Caregiving:
Tim stood just inside the entrance to the playroom. He was sturdy for one-and-a-half, but short. The noise was jarring, and he looked around for the woman his mother talked to when they came in. She had said to his mother, "He'll be fine–I'll get him started, " and she had taken his hand. But now, just as fast, she was gone. It scared him as much as the other time. This was not a good place to be. He wanted his mother, and he wanted to go home. A boy bumped him hard, and Tim fell. He crawled over to the woman. He sat down and fingered some colored blocks on the floor. A big boy came and grabbed one and stepped on his hand. Tim yelped and cried and looked around. He held his hurt hand in the other and the tears ran down his cheeks. No one saw.

Two weeks later:
Tim stood just inside the entrance to the playroom. It was very noisy. A boy ran past him and bumped him. Tim lunged for him and pushed him down. The boy cried, and Tim walked over to the blocks.

He picked some up, and a bigger boy came and grabbed them. Tim gave them up quickly and then turned and saw that a smaller boy had some. He pulled them away from him. The boy cried. Tim looked at the blocks. He couldn't remember what he 'd been doing with them, so he threw them down. They made a very satisfying sound. He picked up several other toys nearby and threw them. Suddenly one of the women was there yelling at him and holding his arm very hard.She was saying lots of things to him, and now she said, "time out, " and scrunched him on a stool. He tried to get up but she wouldn't let him. She waved a finger in his face. He thought about biting it. She went away. He didn't like this place. He wanted his mother. He wanted to go home.

What Tim is learning in this child "care" center is almost everything we would not want him to learn. He is important to no one here and must fend for himself, as must others. For some, it is like home-for others it is newly terrible. For all, it is a potentially damaging experience.

Mindy the Primary Caregiver:
Tim and his mother had visited the center twice in the last week. They had spent time with Mindy, who told them she would be Tim's primary caregiver. Both Tim and his mother felt comfortable with Mindy. She was interested in them, wanted to talk regularly about Tim's progress, and seemed to understand how Tim's mother felt about leaving Tim to go to work. To Tim, today felt much the same, but his mother knew she was going to leave him for several hours and had told him so. Mindy met them at the door, squatted down to speak to Tim, who smiled shyly, remembering her, and then walked with his mother and him to the small rocking horse that Tim had so enjoyed the last time.

A small boy rushed by and bumped Tim quite hard. Mindy caught the little boy and talked quietly to him, introduced him to Tim, and sent him on his way. Tim got on the horse and Mindy sat nearby where a somewhat bigger girl was building with blocks and a boy was working with large puzzle pieces. Mindy attended to all of them in turn as they wanted her attention or help. These were her three, and she always kept a special eye on them.

When it was time for her to go, Tim's mother reminded him she was leaving today. He looked surprised and climbed off the horse. Mindy picked him up and said, "Let's go to the door and say goodbye to your mother. " Tim wanted to go with his mother. But his mother really seemed to be leaving him, so he clung closer to Mindy, who cuddled him and talked quietly. Then his mother was gone. It was like everyone in the world was holding their breath at the same time, but Mindy held him and patted him and talked quietly. Then everyone began to breathe again. Tim could see the toys and children, but mostly he liked hearing Mindy's voice. Ten minutes later, Tim was on his horse. He wasn't as wholly confident as twenty minutes before, but he could still ride, and Mindy was close by, always noticing when he looked at her.

Two weeks later:
After his mother kissed him, Tim waved goodbye and said, "Hi" again to Mindy who ruffled his hair. Tim made a beeline for the block area, but when he got there Wong Chen had corralled all of the red blocks Tim wanted. Tim squatted down and watched Wong Chen. In a minute, Mindy came over and squatted down too, and they both watched him. Mindy said, "Tim likes those blocks too, Wong Chen; would you let him play? " Wong Chen looked at the floor, and then at Tim. Mindy said, "OK, Wong Chen, then Tim can use them later. " And then to Tim, while pointing to some bristle blocks, "Maybe you'd like these? I don't think anyone has those." As Tim started to walk away, Wong Chen handed him one red block. Mindy said, "Thank you, Wong Chen, we'll use that."

... Later, Tim started to build a big car with red blocks, a car like his mother's red car.His mother was working. She would come later. "Mommy later," Tim said. Mindy heard him. "She will, Tim, " said Mindy. "She'll come after your nap. " "After nap, " said Tim, and then he said, "See my car?"

Tim is learning a lot in this center, mostly very good things. He feels important. He feels heard and understood. He feels protected, and his primary caregiver helps him negotiate the difficult things with other children. He is learning to cooperate and pay attention to what other children need and want. There is enough space, there are enough providers, just enough children, and abundant affection for everyone.

Adapted with permission from Lally, J.R., Y.L. Torres, and P.C. Phelps, "Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Groups: Necessary Considerations for Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Development" in ZERO TO THREE, Vol. 14, No. 5. ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families (1994).