School readiness and effective transitions

The Department of Education has been running sessions for early childhood services about the impacts of Covid on transitions in 2020. Here are some themes that emerged:

Effective Transitions-

• Transitions are not a one off event, it is a process over time with everyone working together to support that process.
• Effective transitions build resilience in children, help them to cope with change, support children to feel safe and secure, are child focused and place relationships at the centre of everything.

What is school readiness?

• Children demonstrating dispositions for learning such as curiosity, persistence, the ability to work collaboratively and focus.
• Children being healthy both physically and mentally to support their learning and development.
• Children feeling safe, supported and valued

These factors have been shown to be the most important in being school ready rather than specific academic or physical skills.

Ready schools as opposed to ready children

• Schools are working to be ready for children in ways that are flexible and adaptable, are responsive to a broad range of individual needs of children, involve families and are collaborating like never before with early childhood professionals to enhance our approaches to transition this year.
• Schools know that in Term one 2021 adaptations will need to be made to reflect the needs of children with a greater emphasis on play based learning and supporting children's social and emotional wellbeing.