Glen Education Glover Street

Transitioning to school

By Victoria, Early Childhood Educator

At Glen Glover Street Kindergarten, we focus on the learning and development for all children. As the year approaches the end, transitioning to school becomes a vital part of our program as we create a space that is comfortable and encouraging for children to feel confident with themselves to go to school the following year. 

As part of our emerging program, we have incorporated different play spaces in our room that creates an environment for children to engage and support school readiness skills such as letter recognition, writing, problem-solving and social development. School transitioning and school readiness is a crucial part of our program as we ensure that all children have the opportunity to develop the appropriate skills and guidance to have a positive start to their school journey.

Supporting children to have a positive transition must start well before they walk into school on their first day.  

A partnership approach between parents, kindergarten and local schools can help children to make sense of the changes that come with starting school. Reciprocal visits to our local primary schools are a step we take each year and is important in transitioning children and building relationships. By visiting different schools, it gives children and families the opportunity to explore options and get a feel of where they believe their child is best suited. Children are given the opportunity to meet new people, friends and teachers, in both the school environment and at kindergarten. 

Children are supported in emotional regulation, continuity in learning, fostering positive attitudes, as well as providing familiarisation with the school the children may attend.

This term, educators have setup a learning space in our room that resembles a school classroom. We have incorporated past uniforms from students that the children can wear, encouraging them to dress themselves and develop fine motor skills to manage buttons and zips. We have appropriate worksheets and visuals that encourage literacy, numeracy and writing, with a foundation focus on writing their own name. The children often like to role-play in the area, taking turns to act as teachers and students. The space is created to feel welcoming, supportive and offers children a glimpse of what it may look like in a real school classroom setting. This has been assisted by photo story books of our local schools to help the children visualise parts of the school and ask any questions that may arise.

Throughout the year we support school readiness through role-modelling and providing activities and learning spaces set for children based off the children’s interests and curiosity. Every day we are learning and investigating new things such as space, animals, building and construction, healthy lifestyles, the human body, emotions, respectful relationships and many more things that are part of everyday life. 

An important aspect embedded in our program at Glen Glover St Kindergarten is our AUSLAN program. AUSLAN teaches children a new language as well as enhancing communication and inclusion. We have learnt many skills such as signing the acknowledgement of country, colours of the rainbow, songs with actions, the alphabet and signing the letters in our names. 

This aligns with our philosophy that all children have the right to learn and have access to a supportive educational setting. 

Preparing the children for school through early learning is beneficial and lays a strong foundation for emotional and physical growth, as well as supports their educational journey.