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Transitions
- 1. Transitions “ a transition occurs when an individuals position is altered as the result of a change in the role, setting or both” Brooker 2008,p.5
- 3. Ecological model - Bronfenbrenner
- 4. Transitioning from home to setting Being dropped of by parent/carer Children new to a setting Communication is key to an effective transition from a home environment, both communication with children and with parents/carers Co construction between parents/practitioners also provides opportunities to create familiarity between home and setting.
- 5. The Triangle of Care
- 6. Role of the practitioner The role of the practitioner is to care for children and educate them by building a relationship with them and with their parents to ensure that they are in a happy, healthy environment where they have a sense of well-being which enables them to play and to be active learners. Hohmann (2007) ‘many aspects of the child’s transition depend on how this relationship goes.’
- 7. Working with parents The bond of the parent is a crucial influence in a child’s life, and so parenting has a big impact on behaviour, health and the educational development of the child. Every Child Matters (2003) This shows that the parent is key to providing an effect transition for children settling in. By working closely with parents, practitioners ensure that children can demonstrate a sense of belonging and well-being within a short space of time, and so, create opportunities for learning and development. Bronfenbrenner (in Brooker 2008) talks of the importance of two way communications between practitioners and parents, and how information about the home needs to be available to the school.
- 8. References Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Brooker, L. (2008) Supporting Transitions in the Early Years. Berkshire: McGraw- Hill Education/Open University Press p.15 Dalli, C. (2000). Starting child care:what young children learn about relating to adults in the first weeks of starting child care, Early Childhood Research and Practice, cited in Brooker (2008) ) Supporting Transitions in the Early Years. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education/Open University Press, p.43) Hohmann, U. (2007) Rights, expertise and negotiations in care and education, Early Years. cited in Brooker (2008) ) Supporting Transitions in the Early Years. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education/Open University Press.
Editor's Notes
- This is how Brooker described transition, it is an individual thing. One which is unique to each child, so no two children will react in the same way.
- Models of transitions- Three main types of transitional models Agency – When children move geographically, from one place to another e.g. from home to school/nursery, from building to building and from nursery to school. Structure – Formal/social structures, differences between home and setting Identity – How children identify themselves in an environment
- The influences on the child comes from more than just their immediate surroundings. Family, neighbourhood, school, community, social and cultural groups all play a role and influence development. The child is at the centre of the ecological model which then contains four layers which show a different aspect of the environment. The microsystem- Family, peers, school. Activities, roles and relationships to immediate surroundings. The child would see this first hand, and it is the most obvious of the layers. It includes things which immediately have an impact. The mesosystem- The relationships between microsystems (e.g. between home, school, neighbourhood) Things which take place not just at home but at school/nursery. The exosystem- Broad social systems and environments e.g. health care centres, extended family, parents employers. Where the child is influenced, but not on a daily basis, things which are more external influences than the immediate ones at home and nursery. Can also include external things such as other childcare, the parents working hours etc. The macrosystem- More about ideology, values and rules than a physical environment. Social/cultural norms to adhere to. In summary this model is used by many professionals in Education: Model is “Socially constructed society”- shaped by family, policies, play, education, gender race, disability, spirituality, morality. Bronfenbrenner (1979) argued that children are not isolated individuals but are ‘situated’ in a social world. Any change in environment (setting) will result in a change of role (identity they have constructed) and could potentially impact on their development.
- Children being dropped of at a setting- If the child usually attends the setting then they should quickly adapt after being dropped off as they are familiar with the environment, they have bonds with a key person and often with other children. If the child doesn’t adapt quickly then the practitioner may wish to discuss with parents if anything has happened at home to cause this upset (if it is out of the child’s norm) Children new to a setting- If the child is new to the setting then their first day would be a whole new experience for them. They would undergo a ‘settling in’ period, which usually involves parents staying for a period of time to encourage their child to play and to allow the child time to become familiar with the environment while using the parent as a base to explore from. Home visits provide a good opportunity to gain information about the child and his/her interests as well as valuable information about their family life. This all goes to inform their practice in how to support the child, as well as being able to plan from their interests very early on. Communication is key to an effective transition from a home environment, both communication with children and with parents/carers so that both feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the setting. Communication is key to creating a high level of well being for all involved – parents, practitioner, child. These include different levels of well being and involvement from all involved – parents, practitioner, child. Co construction between parents/practitioners provides opportunities to create familiarity between home and setting. It ensures that the gap between home and setting is narrowed.
- The connection between parents, practitioners and the child is demonstrated in ‘The Triangle of Care’. This shows that information and knowledge is continuously passed between the three, essentially it is that the key aspects of ‘the caring triangle’ are not just about care but involve relationships too. In early years settings the care relationship is defined more by attachments between the child and the practitioner, than by physical care.
- Looking after children is an emotional job for parents and practitioners, practitioners need to be sensitive to the needs of the parents as well as that of the child. They need to listen to both to ensure that everyone involved is happy and comfortable with the environment and the level of care. Hohmann (2007:33) ‘many aspects of the child’s transition depend on how this relationship goes.’ This is why settings have a key worker system to care for and support children as well as to support parents as they are also going through a transition by taking their child to nursery/school. If the transition goes smoothly then both the parent and child will be comfortable to be parted, however, if it does not that one or both could become distressed. If professionals support parents effectively, they will decrease their stress and worry which will result in a smooth transition and wouldn’t generate stress in children. They would be happier, healthier and overall more successful and active learners Margetts (2002) stresses the importance of parents being informed about the ‘schools’ expectations and procedures as information can reduce parental stress about the changes children will experience. Research suggests that if professionals can support parents effectively by decreasing the stress and worry and ensure a smooth transition, a result would be children that are happier, healthier and more successful learners The assigned key worker can be different to the child’s key person. The key person is often the person the child has chosen to interact with, who they feel comfortable with and can open up to. Their role is similar to that of the key worker but it if focused more on the relationship with the child and the benefits it brings. Elfer, Goldschmied & Selleck (2002) Children experiencing Transitions need: Adults who give them time; Adults who listen to what worries or excites children about a move; The offer of proactive support including support for children who appear to be ‘coping;’ Support and respect for a child’s way of making it work for themselves – listening to how the child and family want to handle the transition; Adults who appreciate what the child brings with them in terms of what has been learned at home or in a previous setting adults who plan carefully for both horizontal as well as vertical transitions
- The bond of the parent is a crucial influence in a child’s life, and so parenting has a big impact on behaviour, health and the educational development of the child. Every Child Matters (2003) This shows that the parent is key to providing an effect transition for children settling in. By working closely with parents, practitioners ensure that children can demonstrate a sense of belonging and well-being within a short space of time, and so, create opportunities for learning and development. In building a professional relationship with parents, they can access information about the child’s home environment to create activities which support the home experiences. Bronfenbrenner (in Brooker 2008) talks of the importance of two way communications between practitioners and parents, and how information about the home needs to be available to the school. This emphasises the importance of the relationship between the parents and the child. Brooker (2008) says that the aspects of good practice could be defined as: The close attention to building relationships with parent Constant links between home and the setting. Working with parents focuses on reporting, educating and involving parents as well as the partnerships with parents. There should be a balance in this, which is hard to get right. Practitioners can be friendly to parents but it is easy to overstep that line by being too friendly. If this is the case then there is a chance that parents won’t take the practitioner seriously in terms of educating their child. However, it could easily go the other way and parents do not feel confident enough to speak to the practitioners and do not feel that they are valued by them even though the bond between parent and child is much greater than that of the practitioner. Parents should always be made to feel welcome in the setting, valued and that their knowledge and opinions of the child is appreciated by the practitioners. Sylva et al (2007) suggests that home learning environment that is supportive of learning can counteract the effects of disadvantage in the early years; and that what parents do is more important than who they are.