Kay Margetts

Transition to school — Complexity and diversity

SUMMARY Early childhood professionals planning transition programmes for children commencing the first year of school need to be aware of factors that influence childrens early adjustment to school. Transition programmes should create an appropriate degree of continuity between preschool and school experiences and develop strategies to help children adjust to school. In addressing these issues, this paper will present findings of a recent study of factors influencing the adjustment of children to the first year of school. Results indicate statistically significant associations between childrens adjustment to the first year of school, personal and background factors, transition activities conducted by schools, childrens preschool and early school experiences, the absence or presence of a friend, and a number of other factors. Implications for promoting childrens adjustment to school will be addressed.

‘I am very good at computers’: young children's computer use and their computer self-esteem

Children frequently encounter computers in many aspects of daily life. It is important to consider the consequences not only on childrens cognitive development but on their emotional and self-development. This paper reports on research undertaken in Australia with 52 children aged between 44 and 79 months to explore the existence or not of a relationship between computer use and computer self-esteem. The development and use of tools to identify computer self-esteem is also described. Findings suggest that computer use enhances computer self-esteem, especially for children with access to computers both at home and in preschool and the first year of schooling. Suggestions for further research and serious implications for early childhood are also noted.

Responsive Caregiving: Reducing the Stress in Infant Toddler Care

SummaryThe first three years of life are critical for children’s development and well-being. The care of these very young children is highly specialised and challenging work. Challenges in meeting the unique and varied needs of infants and toddlers in group care are compounded by the generally poor conditions of employment experienced by staff. When staff are emotionally stressed the stress can be transferred to their work and to the children, and can result in rigid routines and practices. In meeting the needs of infants and toddlers and easing the stresses for staff, this paper recognises the importance of responsive caregiving and will promote a primary-caregiver approach. This approach individualises and personalises the care of children in groups, supports relationships with families, and empowers staff.RésuméLes trois premières années de la vie sont critiques pour le développement et le bien-être des enfants. La garde d’enfants en bas âge est un travail très spécialisé et difficile mais motivant. Les difficultés à satisfaire aux besoins spécifiques et variés des tout-petits en accueil collectif sont aggravées par les conditions d’emploi généralement médiocres du personnel. Lorsque le personnel est stressé sur le paln émotif, ce stress peut se répercuter sur son travail et sur les enfants, et peut entraîner des routines et des pratiques rigides. Pour satisfaire aux besoins des tout-petits et soulager le stress du personnel, cette communication souligne l’importance d’une prise en charge attentive («responsive caregiving») et encourage l’approche de l’intervenant principal («primary care-giver»). Cette approche individualise et personnalise la garde d’enfants en groupes, soutient les rapports avec les familles, et permet au personnel de s’assumer.ResumenLos primeros tres años de vida son fundamentales en el desarrollo y el bienestar de los niños. El cuidado de los niños más pequeños es un trabajo altamente especializado y un desafío. El desafío de cubrir las únicas y diversas necesidades de los infantes y deambuladores bajo cuidado grupal se ven aumentadas por las condiciones de empleo del personal, generalmente bajas. Cuando el personal está emocionalmente estresado, el estrés puede verse transferido a su trabajo y a los niños, y puede dar como consecuencia rutinas y prácticas rígidas. Al cubrirse las necesidades de los infantes y deambuladores y reducirse el estrés del personal, la presente ponencia reconoce la importancia de un cuidado sensible y promueve el enfoque del cuidador primario. Dicho enfoque individualiza y personaliza el cuidado de niños en grupos, da apoyo a las relaciones con las familias, y otorga empoderamiento al personal.

Transition and Adjustment to School

Transition and adjustment to the first year of schooling are characterised by diversity and complexity: for children, their families, communities and the school itself. For children and their families it can involve adapting to a range of new experiences and expectations associated with the physical, social, emotional and academic environments and taking on a new identity and social status. For the school, it involves responding to the diversity of children and families entering the school and the community contexts in which they and the school itself are located. While acknowledging that there are personal and systemic adjustment issues for families, educators, schools and communities, this chapter focuses primarily on the adjustment of children.

Transition of children from preschool and home contexts to grade 1 in two township primary schools in South Africa

In South Africa, the development of the 2001 White Paper No. 5 on Early Childhood Development (ECD) has been an instrumental policy in the development of changes to assist in preparing children for formal schooling, along with a strong focus on early childhood education. However the extent to which these are being enacted is relatively unknown. This study investigated understandings and practices of stakeholders involved in the transition of children moving from preschool or home into primary school in South Africa. A case study approach was adopted focusing on two schools situated in economically disadvantaged provinces of South Africa. School principals and teachers were interviewed to determine their knowledge of, and relationships with preschools, and practices around school transition. Grade 1 teachers were also asked about the factors influencing childrens transition to school. Parents were asked about their views of transition and how their children were supported as they started school. Taking note of the childrens own voices was imperative in determining how they experienced transition to school. While case study findings cannot be generalised, the results suggest that much needs to be done to increase awareness of early childhood education and for the government to move beyond universal accessibility to ensuring the quality of provision at the local level.

Identifying and Supporting Behaviours Associated with Co-operation, Assertion and Self-Control in Young Children Starting School.

SUMMARY The transition to the first year of schooling has been perceived as one of the major challenges children have to face in their early childhood years. This transition can be a critical factor for childrens adjustment to the demands of the school environment and in determining future school success. When children experience social difficulties in the early years of school they are more likely to continue experiencing these problems throughout their schooling. An understanding of the social skills that predict childrens adjustment to the first year of schooling can assist early childhood staff to identify children at risk of maladjustment and to implement appropriate intervention strategies. This paper will identify social skills that contribute to the constructs of co-operation, assertion and self control. Strategies that early childhood staff can use in promoting adjustment to school will be addressed.

Measures of the adjustment of mature-age, undergraduate students to university

Adjustment to the first year of university involves engaging with the university culture and developing a sense of belonging or attachment. Difficulty making the transition to university can result in students deferring or withdrawing from their courses. While mature-age students experience many of the challenges of all first-year students such as social dislocation, academic anxiety, and unrealistic expectations, they are more likely than school-leaver students to have family responsibilities and time constraints. The ability to manage competing demands on their time can affect their participation in campus-based activities and negatively impact their sense of belonging to the university. This paper reports on the adjustment to the first year of university of 40 mature-age students, measured through an analysis of their responses on a 55-item survey questionnaire. The findings suggest that the mature-age students adjusted well, academically; however, they had lower measures of adjustment in their social and personal adjustment. The challenge for universities is to identify and respond to the needs of mature-age students during their transition to university.