Fluid Shifts in Unique Procedures
In an effort to ensure a seamless transition from kindergarten to school, Crawshaw Kindergarten has launched the "Belonging through Transition" project. Funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TRLI), this innovative programme aims to improve outcomes for learners by bridging the gap between educational research and teaching practices.
At the heart of the project is the belief that every child is unique and requires different approaches for support. Te Whāriki, New Zealand's early childhood curriculum, encapsulates this ethos beautifully: "Children need to be nurtured like a precious seed to ensure their survival and inculcated with an understanding of their own importance."
The project emphasises a flexible transition to school, tailored to each child's individual culture and being. It recognises the diversity of families, with some not taking their children on school visits due to reasons such as proximity, time constraints, or personal experiences.
The "Belonging through Transition" project is a collaborative effort between the kindergarten, families, and the school. It is designed to build a sense of belonging for children as they move into the school environment, providing them with emotional, social, and learning support during this major change.
The project offers a series of visits to school for children in their final weeks at kindergarten, separate from their kindergarten life. Each family is accompanied for at least the first school visit, with a teacher sitting alongside as a trusted friend. The school is also open to collaborating and providing ideas for the transition process.
Children who are ready to start before the age of 5 can visit the school without an adult, while those who are not ready can have their kindergarten enrollment extended beyond the age of 5. The project views transition as a process, not an occasion, and the role of educators is to pick up on each child's unique qualities and guide them forward.
The TRLI fund, established by the government in 2003, seeks to build research capability and make a difference to teaching and learning in New Zealand. For detailed and specific information about Crawshaw Kindergarten’s project, you might consider reaching out directly to the kindergarten or the associated school district.
Gail Megaffin, an early childhood educator, explains that the project is unique in its approach, recognising that children bring their prior knowledge, ways of knowing, bicultural components, and unique ways of being and doing to the transition process. This holistic view of the child ensures a personalised and supportive transition experience for all involved.
The "Belonging through Transition" project, a collaborative endeavor between Crawshaw Kindergarten, families, and the school, focuses on personal growth and education-and-self-development by offering a flexible, individualized transition to school. This learning journey, which recognizes the unique qualities of each child, aims at fostering emotional, social, and academic support during the major change from kindergarten to school.
