Early Childhood Transition In Education: A Rational Experience

Description of a Rational Experience

Discuss about the Early Childhood Transition in Education.

According to Brostrom, 2005 transition is the undertaking change that a child experience with their families when they move from home setting to their formal school. However, a child can deal with this new setting successfully if they are readily accepted by the school (Ebbeck et al., 2013). Transition affects the continuous potential of the child to retaliate and adjust to the requirements of the school environment. Transitions shape a long-lasting matrix of a child’s life by which all children as well as adults’ advances slowly from known to unknown domains of experiences (Wagner et al., 2013). These transitions are a landmark on the lane from infancy past a mature adult. Every stage incorporates a parting from a known environment and an access into an unknown one. However, in a case study of Zoe who has just moved to Singapore from Japan is having difficulty to pick up the foreign language being in a local preschool, which speaks mainly the English language.

An educator here has a major role to play and they are the one who helps in the development of the child (Denham, Bassett & Zinsser, 2012). Transitions in young childhood education and care giving environments as well as latter in schools are significant landmarks for children and their families as well. The changeover into the school is usually important though few children are willing for this change than other children are in cognitive, non-cognitive and group skills. This so-called ‘readiness for school’ has displayed to be prophetic of educational prosperity throughout the years in school and of lifelong educational and professional prosperity. Particularly, this change towards school must never be considered a point-in-time incident, but as a route that starts well before one enters the school and sustains into the initial years of schooling. Children’s continuous victory in the institution obtains from their educational skills prior school and the happening surrounding of knowledge in the advanced years of schooling (Adams & Fleer, 2015).

This report however discuses about the transition experience emphasizing on the case study of Zoe and focusing on the change as an opportunity for complex learning and then choosing one image an analyzed is done based on the understanding of transition and change. Then the selected image is analyzed with relevant literature keeping in mind Zoe’s condition in the above case study. Lastly, it is concluded with the changes that can be brought out in the transition.

Rationale for Selected Image

Image 1:- The leap

The reason behind choosing this particular image is that here a child is been seen taking a jump from one point to another and similarly, there is a major leap in children’s life when he actually jumps from home environment to the educational surroundings. Thus, transition is like a leap. There are many transitions in life, which a child goes through, but it begins with the play school or care giving environments in which they first step in. Zoe’s transition has begun with her readiness to school which itself a controversial topic as this word readiness differs to every people. Readiness for schooling in case of children comprises of five aspects when includes their healthy physical conditions and full motor development, appropriate development in social and emotional ability in the child, the child’s configuration towards learning, right development of verbal abilities and cognitive and general knowledge regarding particular culture and social practices (Dockett & Perry, 2009).

Zoe’s transition will help her to move forward in life and so she can learn to socialize with people who are not her family members. She can meet other children of the same age group and transfer them into their friends circle. In addition, this will help her to get away with her shyness and will gain confidence. The child also learns sharing and cooperation with others (Galindo & Sheldon, 2012). This transition from safe and dependent environment takes the child to a new surrounding where they has to survive on their own and so in this process of survival they learns to cooperate with others. Children in this transition also learns to show respect, teamwork, resilience, being attentive, patience, self esteem and also get a chance to be exposed to diversity. However, for Zoe this transition seems to have been very challenging, as she has to acquire a new language all together. (Rosier & McDonald, 2011). 

As an educator the factors, which I found effective in Zoe’s transition phase, is the role of educator, the impact of the culture and family. Educators build the intimate and strong relationship with the infants. In addition, here in Zoe’s case, educator’s special attention is very much needed. The interactions they make daily with the children because this interaction actually helps the child to comfort them in distress, sort the conflicts and supports and observe their play activities, change their diapers, help them take a nap and moreover the educators shares the child’s victory as well as failure in this transition process. However, this interaction with other children as well as with the educator will help Zoe deal with the transition. The contribution of the educator follows with the impact of culture. I would like to share my own experience where I never shared the identical values like the children or their families in our care. Thus, the kin differ greatly in their belief system regarding what part their children should play in the community, which often is reflected among their children. Culture varies widely in the practices that the families follow in rearing their children. Moreover, the important of family lies in this transition because before going through this transition the basic preparation that the child gets is from their family. Family is the base from where the child’s development and growth starts and it actually helps them to take the challenges in transition (Laverick & Jalongo, 2011).

Relevant Literature

Many educators and researchers know Bronfenbrenner’s model of nested concentric circles that situates the child in the middle (Ryan, 2001). It further centers on the different contexts in which individuals exist and relates at the junctions of these contexts. Goodnow & Burns, 1985 questioned around hundreds children who are of 6-year-old from primary institutions in Australia about their likes and dislikes of beginning primary school. Against the various reactions, it was summoned that small matters actually have importance to them and so it was concluded that they are vulnerable by nature (Woodhead & Faulkner, 2000).

In another study of Adams & Fleer 2015, they concentrated on the numerous transitions of an Australian emigrant family shifting from Saudi Arabia to Malaysia. This paper comes up with fresh transitions as a rational relationship among the global and small movements where belongings of the children’s act as significant cultural device for helping the worldwide move. However, a new outlook on transitions as emotional charged events is postulated, donating to comprehensions of the notion of transition as an affective connection between a global shift and a smaller movement during the procedure of implanted personal belongings into the latest local context.

A research by Redden et al., 2001 the only inspection to inspect the influence of a complete change in the kindergarten development intervention on child results in kindergarten. The writers suggested that a precaution consequence might have appeared such that the involvement that was especially successful for children at possibility for Mentally Retard and Emotional Disturbance due to the profit of the assistance provided by the family and obstructive referrals and conceals. Another research study Hamblin-Wilson & Thurman, 1990 propose that young childhood special education labors are precious resources to kin because disabled children shifts to kindergarten. However, the participation of receiving basic schools may be nominal. This can owe, in parts, to little facilities and the recognition that transition executions are unpractical to execute.

In another study by Ebbeck, 2013 on transition which manifested that a favorable transition can help the child throughout life and lay the pathway to prosper in succeeding years of schooling. The study by Copeland et.al, 2013, evaluated design of diagnostically transition from early childhood to puberty and again from puberty to prior adulthood. The result that he pointed out was with having a disturbance at an advanced time was related with not less than a multiple growth in probability for having a disturbance at a subsequent time. Homotypic and heterotypic transitions are also noticed for every group of disorders. The powerful proof of progression was viewed for behavioral disorders especially ADHD with minimal confirmation for emotional disorders like depression and anxiety. Restricted proof came up in regulated representations for behavioral disorders forecasting further emotional disorders. Adult substance disorders were advanced by behavioral disorders, but neither anxiety nor depression.

According to Hughes, Banks & Terras, 2013 well to do transition from junior to secondary school is influential for psychosocial welfare. Those children with special educational needs (SEN) may be concern with supplementary complexities in transition, but the effect of this operation on children’s psychosocial adaptation had obscured. Apart from these declared studies that were recognized throughout an organized exploration of six electronic sequences. Further, review was done on articles that were attaining additional criteria and a standard benchmark system was evolved to grade the studies.

Conclusion

Thus, to conclude it can be said that as we have gathered our knowledge regarding what transition is and how impactful it is in a lifetime. Therefore, from my point of view the learning outcomes that I came up with are that in this process it is important that the toddler get the appropriate care from the teachers or the caregivers. For us it is a kind of challenge to build that relationship with the child but an advantage is that we can simply rely on the way we have been parented or the social myths we have about children. However, in Zoe’s case to make her succeed can be through parental involvement, family solidarity and educator’s sensitivity about linguistic and cultural inheritance. Children do have a tendency to adapt quickly to new environments if proper support and help is provided to them and so they just need support and comfort.

 Often parents fail to understand the importance of transition planning and so they are unaware of where to get the right information from about a beneficial place for their children. The requirements for those children are with disabilities that actually require special care and attachment from the families as well as the teachers. However, it may look quite complicated in comparison to children’s without disability. As I have understood, this jump from one point to another is crucial and any kind of fall can remain like a scare for a lifetime. The family for this transition plays an important role in preparing children to take up the challenges and so their involvement is highly important. From family environment children feel safe and warm and it is a dependable environment for them from here when their base shifts to an unknown place they learn interaction, cooperation and become independent by interacting with peers and teachers. It is from here that they built up the trust factors and gains the courage to face the challenges latter in life.

References

Adams, M., & Fleer, M. (2015). Moving countries: Belongings as central for realizing the affective relation between international shifts and localized micro movements. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 6, 56-66.

Brostrom, S. (2005). Transition problems and play as transitory activity. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 30(3), 17–25.

Copeland, W. E., Adair, C. E., Smetanin, P., Stiff, D., Briante, C., Colman, I., … & Angold, A. (2013). Diagnostic transitions from childhood to adolescence to early adulthood. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(7), 791-799.

Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., & Zinsser, K. (2012). Early childhood teachers as socializers of young children’s emotional competence. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40(3), 137-143.

Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2009). Readiness for school: a relational construct. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(1), 20.

Ebbeck, M., Saidon, S. B., nee Rajalachime, G., & Teo, L. Y. (2013). Children’s Voices: Providing Continuity in Transition Experiences in Singapore. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(4), 291-298.

Galindo, C., & Sheldon, S. B. (2012). School and home connections and children’s kindergarten achievement gains: The mediating role of family involvement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27(1), 90-103.

Goodnow, J. J., & Burns, A. (1985). Home and school: A child’s eye view. London: George Allen & Unwin.

Hamblin-Wilson, C., & Thurman, S. K. (1990). The transition from early intervention to kindergarten: Parental satisfaction and involvement. Journal of Early Intervention, 14(1), 55-61.

Hughes, L. A., Banks, P., & Terras, M. M. (2013). Secondary school transition for children with special educational needs: a literature review. Support for Learning, 28(1), 24-34.

Laverick, D. M., & Jalongo, M. R. (Eds.). (2011). Transitions to early care and education: International perspectives on making schools ready for young children (Vol. 4). Springer Science & Business Media.

Perry, B., Dockett, S., & Petriwskyj, A. (Eds.). (2013). Transitions to school-international research, policy and practice (Vol. 9). Springer Science & Business Media.

Rosier, K., & McDonald, M. (2011). Promoting positive education and care transitions for children. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Ryan, D. P. J. (2001). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Retrieved January, 9, 2012.

Wagner, J., Lüdtke, O., Jonkmann, K., & Trautwein, U. (2013). Cherish yourself: Longitudinal patterns and conditions of self-esteem change in the transition to young adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(1), 148.

Woodhead, M., & Faulkner, D. (2000). Subjects, objects or participants? Dilemmas of psychological research with children. In P. Christensen & A. James (Eds.), Research with children: Perspectives and practices (pp. 9–35). London: Falmer Press