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PS 025 376

Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity.

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community.

Aspen Systems Corp., Rockville, MD.

Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (DHHS),

Washington, DC. Head Start Bureau.

ISBN-0-16-042697-9

96

153p.; For other guides in this series, see ED 348 160, ED

398 220-222, and PS 025 367-375.

105-94-1580

U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of

Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328.

Guides Non-Classroom (055)

MF01/PC07 Plus Postage.

Change Strategies; Family School Relationship; *High Risk

Students; Preschool Children; Preschool Education; Resource

Materials; Staff Development; Training Methods;

*Transitional Programs; Workshops

*Continuity; *Project Head Start; Support Systems;

Transitional Activities

This guide supports Head Start's efforts to improve

long-term school success and continue comprehensive services for children by

ensuring their effective transitions to different settings. The guide is

divided into two sections, one on skill-based training and one on information

resources. The skill-based training section includes three training modules.

Module 1 focuses on transition and change, and helps participants develop

skills in identifying and developing the supports that children and families

need during transition. Module 2 focuses on transition and continuity, and

helps participants develop skills in working as part of a team to provide

ongoing services, support, and developmentally appropriate learning

experiences. Module 3 focuses on partnerships for continuity, and helps

participants develop skills to plan, implement, and evaluate transition

practices and policies collaboratively with parents and key community

partners. The guide's information resources section contains four types of

documents: digests, summarizing fundamental information on the topics of

transition, change, continuity and support; program profiles, providing

descriptions of transition programs from within and outside of Head Start;

hands-on activities, offering examples of concrete transition activities for

individuals to try in their own home or program; and 30 resources, including

books, journal articles, and videotapes. (SD) ********************************************************************************

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made

from the original document. ********************************************************************************
.40

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Effective Transition

Practices:

Facilitating Continuity

O

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION

CENTER (ERIC)

This document has been reproduced as

received from the person or organization

originating it.

CI Minor changes have been made to

improve reproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in this

document do not necessarily represent

official OERI position or policy.

Training Guides for the

Head Start Learning Community

...os.avicsy. 4Sr

tte U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

4"6 el.

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children. Youth and Families Head Start Bureau

-.Mlam.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Ottice

Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328

ISBN 0-16-042697-9

BEST COPY AVAILABLE
HEAD START

Effective Transition

Practices:

Facilitating Continuity

Training Guides for the Head

Start Learning Community

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families

Head Start Bureau
This national training guide was developed by Aspen Systems Corporation, 1600 Research

Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850 under contract number: 105-94-1580 of the Head Start

Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human

Services.

Photographer: Tom Bowman

Photograph provided courtesy of National Head Start Association.
Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

Overview

Purpose 1

Outcomes 1

Audience 1

Key Terms 1

Performance Standards 2

Organization 2

Definition of Icons 4

At A Glance 5

Introductory Activity 9

Beginning the Journey 9

Handouts 13

Journey Bag Graphic 13

Pocket Guide 1 15

Pocket Guide 2 17

Pocket Guide 3 19

Skill-Based Training Section

Module 1: Transition and Change

Outcomes 23

Key Concepts 23

Background Information 24

Activities 26

Activity 1-1: The Change Process 26

Activity 1-2: Family Changes 28

Activity 1-3: Pass the Baton 30

Activity 1-4: Developmental Spiral 32

Contents v 6
Contents

Activity 1-5: Going to Kindergarten 35

Activity 1-6: Bringing It All Together 38

Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice 39

Handouts 41

Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change 41

Handout 2: Timeline for Adapting to Change 42

Handout 3: Children and Change 43

Handout 4: Addressing Change 44

Handout 5: Involving All Staff 45

Handout 6: Developmental Spiral 47

Handout 7: Expectations and Supports That

Match Developmental Needs 48

Handout 8: Scenes of Support 49

Handout 9: Strategies for Offering

Support: Preschoolers/Kindergartners 51

Handout 10: Expectations and Supports That

Match Individual Needs 53

Handout 11: Bringing It All Together 54

Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Outcomes 55

Key Concepts 55

Background Information 55

Activities 58

Activity 2-1: Setting Sail 58

Activity 2-2: Partner Meeting 60

Activity 2-3: Sender and Receiver Roles 61

Activity 2-4: Setting Characteristics 63

Activity 2-5: Preparing the Child and Family 65

Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice 66

Handouts 69

Handout 12: Sharing Information 69

Handout 13: Scenarios 70

Handout 14: Senders and Receivers 71

Handout 15: Transition Issues 73

Handout 16: Kendra's Story 75

Handout 17: Settings and Continuity 77

vi Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Contents

Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity

Outcomes 79

Key Concepts 79

Background Information 79

Activities 81

Activity 3-1: Common Ground 81

Activity 3-2: Find a Partner 83

Activity 3-3: Collaborative Potluck 85

Activity 3-4: Adapting Promising Practices 86

Activity 3-5: What's in Your Journey Bag? 88

Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice 89

Handouts 91

Handout 18: Invitation to a Collaborative Potluck Dinner 91

Handout 19: Recipe for Collaborative Cake 92

Handout 20: Collaborating for Quality 93

Continuing Professional Development .... 95

Informational Resources Section

Contents 101

Overview 103

Digests 105

Program Profiles 113

Hands-on Activities 125

Resources 139

Contents vii

8
116.- Opp/

To Embark on a Journey

Please join members of our early childhood community

as we discover new transition strategies and

promising practices for young children and families.

What to bring:

Experiences with children, families, and change

Stories of your own transitions

Symbol of personal support (stuffed animal, photograph, quotation, etc.)

Journey bag (backpack, tote, duffle bag, etc.)

Journey points along the way:

Introduction to the Journey

Transition and Change

Transition and Continuity

Partnerships for Continuity

We look forward to traveling with you as we consider transition issues and engage

in interactive workshops. In this personal and professional journey, you can expect

to learn new ways to prepare children and their families for transition and change.

At each journey point, you will collect valuable resources from programs nationwide.

This training will help you navigate the changing waters of transition. We hope you

will accept this invitation.

Bon Voyage!

Where.

When:
Preface

The image of children and their families sailing smoothly through transitions

from birth through age eight captures a Head Start vision of continuous

development and progress. A child's success in school can be linked, in part,

to effective transition practices and activities. When new information and the

collective support of a community continue to be accessible to families, they

are better prepared to navigate their journey through transitions, adapt to

change, and move forward.

In many communities, however, Head Start, elementary schools, and other

early childhood programs and child care providers function in isolation from

each other with little or no coordination. When this occurs, the transition of

a child from one setting to a new one can result in discontinuity, jeopardizing

the long-term benefits of a child's quality early experiences.

With limited resources and an increase in the complexity of problems facing

children and families today, no one staff member or single agency can ensure

continuity. Everyone has a stake in providing families and children with high

quality programs and services throughout early childhood. Developing

effective transition practices to facilitate continuity is everyone's job. Therefore, this foundation guide is for all Head Start staffall of whom are already

heavily invested in the continued progress and promise of the children and

families they serve.

This guide will be useful for those programs that have just initiated transition

activities, as well as those that have longstanding efforts. As a manager, you

can support the process of continuous quality improvement by incorporating

this transition training material into your staff development program. You can

adapt the activities to meet your program needs.

This foundation guide will chart the course for a broader understanding of the

elements of effective transition and the role of individual staff in facilitating

continuity. Future transition guides will build upon the skills developed in this

guide.

Your transition efforts will be most successful if you involve parents and other

key players from the broader early childhood community. Initiate a relationship; create a partnership; or invite staff from a local school, preschool, or

child care facility to participate with you and your staff in a joint training

session. This collaborative approach could shift the perspective from turf

issues and barriers to charting a course for successfully moving forward.

Preface ix
Overview

Introduction

Purpose

Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity is the first in a

series of transition training guides.

This guide supports Head Start's efforts to improve long-term school

success and continue comprehensive services for children by ensuring

their effective transitions to different settings from birth through age eight.

Outcomes After completing this training, participants will meet the following guide

outcomes:

Identify elements and requirements of effective transition practices

Support children and families preparing for and experiencing

transition

Develop transition practices to facilitate continuity between settings

Audience

Key Terms

This foundation guide is written for all Head Start staff and families. It

supports their efforts to ensure smooth transitions for young children and

their parents. In addition to the Head Start family, this guide is also a

vehicle for each Head Start grantee to extend an invitation to other

members of their local early childhood community, such as elementary

school, preschool, child care, and health and social services staff.

Providing high quality early childhood experiences is a common goal

shared by early childhood staff. Quality experiences occur in a variety of

care and education settingshome, school, family day care, child care

centers, Head Start center-based and home-based programs, preschools,

and elementary schools. As children develop from birth throughout childhood they move, or transition, from one learning environment or setting

to a new one. Often, these transitions involve a process of change that

requires a period of adjustment for the child and family.

To help these families adapt to change, staff need to provide as much

continuity of education, care, and services as possible. This is accomplished when staff from the old setting (senders) and new setting

(receivers) work together. Therefore, future experiences of children build

upon previous experiences and supports to families remain available.

Introduction 1
Introduction

Performance Standards

Organization

Programs facilitate continuity when they implement these effective

transition practices:

Provide ongoing transition activities that support families and children

Share information among key partners

Develop communitywide supports through collaborative planning

The Head Start Program Performance Standards require that grantees establish and maintain procedures to support successful transitions for enrolled children and families from previous child development programs or

homes into Head Start and from Head Start into elementary schools or

child care settings. This process includes:

Coordinating the transfer of records with schools, other agencies,

and parents

Encouraging communication among Head Start staff and their counterparts in schools, other child development programs, and agencies,

as well as parents, to facilitate continuity of programming

Initiating meetings involving parents, kindergarten or elementary

school teachers, other child care staff, and Head Start teachers

Initiating joint transition-related training of school or other child care

staff and Head Start staff

This foundation guide is divided into two sections: Skill-Based Training

and Informational Resources.

The Skill-Based Training section includes three training modules. Since

they build upon each other, they are most effective when used in sequence.

This section of the guide makes reference to materials found in the

Informational Resources section, but the usefulness of these materials

extends beyond this guide. Before beginning any module, trainers should

conduct the Introductory Activity: Beginning the Journey, found at the end

of the Introduction.

Introductory Activity: Beginning the Journey helps participants understand the importance of providing external support during transitions.

Participants identify their program's current activities that provide a foundation for developing effective transition practices. Participants also receive the Journey Bag and Pocket Guides that are used throughout the

training modules.

12

2 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Introduction

Skill-Based Training Section

Informational Resources

Section

Module 1: Transition and Change helps participants understand that

transition is an ongoing process of adapting to change that involves these

stages: letting go, uncertainty, and taking hold. Participants develop skills

in identifying and developing the supports that children and families

need during transition. In addition, participants develop appropriate

expectations based on the individual and developmental needs of children

in transition.

Module 2: Transition and Continuity helps participants understand the

importance of sharing information with key partners to facilitate continuity during transitions. Participants develop skills in working as part of a

team to provide ongoing services, supports, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences.

Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity helps participants identify common goals of families and the early childhood community and helps them

appreciate the skills and resources that each contribute. Participants begin

to develop skills to plan, implement, and evaluate transition practices and

policies collaboratively with parents and key community partners.

The Informational Resources section contains several important documents that will enhance your understanding of the major concepts discussed in this guide. This section contains four types of documents and

suggestions on how to use them.

Digests: Summarize fundamental information on the topics of transition, change, continuity, and support. The brief articles reflect current

research and express a consensus of expert views on transition issues.

Program Profiles: Provide descriptions of transition programs from

within and outside of Head Start. The examples reflect the diverse

nature of programs throughout the country.

Hands-on Activities: Offer examples of concrete transition activities

for individuals to try in their own home or program.

Resources: List additional resource materials, including books, journal articles, videotapes, and other documents.

13

Introduction 3
Introduction

Definition of Icons

Coaching A training strategy that fosters the development of skills

through tailored instruction, demonstrations, practice, and

feedback. The activities are written for a coach to work

closely with one to three participants.

Workshop A facilitated group training strategy that fosters the development of skills through activities that build on learning

through group interaction. These activities are written for

up to twenty-five participants working in small or large

groups with one or two trainers.

Next Steps:

Ideas to Extend Practice

These are additional activities assigned by the trainer immediately following the completion of the module to help

participants review key information, practice skills, and

examine their progress toward expected outcomes of the

module.

Continuing

Professional Development

These are follow-up activities for the program to support

continued staff development in the regular use of the skills

addressed in a particular training guide. The activities include:

(1) Opportunities for the participant to continue building

on the skills learned in the training

(2) Ways to identify new skills and knowledge needed to

expand and/or complement these skills through

opportunities in such areas as higher education,

credentialing, or community educational programs

14

4 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Introduction

At A Glance

Module Activity Time Materials and

Resources

Introductory Activity:

Beginning the Journey (W)

60-90

minutes

Invitation to Embark on a Journey

Journey Bag, Pocket Guides 1, 2, and 3

Introduction *Digest: A Child's Emerging Coping

Abilities

Personal object

Pocket folders

Activity 1-1: The Change 45-60 Handout 1: The Process of

Process (W) minutes Adapting to Change

Handout 2: Timeline for

Adapting to Change

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1

Newsprint, markers

Module I: Activity 1-2: Family Two Handout 1: The Process of

Transition and

Change

Changes (C) 30-60

minute

sessions

Adapting to Change

Handout 3: Children and Change

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1

Activity 1-3: Pass the

Baton (W)

60-90

minutes

Handout 4: Addressing Change

Handout 5: Involving All Staff

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1

Masking tape, paper towel roll

* = Refer to Informational Resources Section

W = Workshop Activities C = Coaching Activities

Introduction 5
Introduction

Module Activity Time Materials and

Resources

Activity 1-4:

Developmental Spiral (W)

90-120

minutes

Handout 6: Developmental Spiral

Handout 7: Expectations and Supports

That Match Developmental Needs

*Digest: A Child's Emerging

Coping Abilities

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1

Newsprint, markers, scissors

Activity 1-5: Going to

Kindergarten (W)

90-120

minutes

Handout 8: Scenes of Support

Handout 9: Strategies for Offering

Support: Preschoolers/Kindergartners

Module 1: Handout 10: Expectations and Supports

Transition and That Match Individual Needs

Change

(Continued) *Digest: Transition to Kindergarten

*Hands-on Activities: Sample

Transition Activities

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1

Preschool props

Newsprint, markers

Activity 1-6: Bringing Two Handout 5: Involving All Staff

It All Together (C) 30-60

minute

sessions

Handout 10: Expectations and Supports

That Match Individual Needs

Handout 11: Bringing It All Together

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1

* = Refer to Informational Resources Section

W = Workshop Activities C = Coaching Activities

6 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Introduction

Module Activity Time Materials and

Resources

Module 2:

Transition and

Continuity

Activity 2-1: Setting

Sail (W)

90-120

minutes

Handout 12: Sharing Information

Handout 13: Scenarios

Handout 14: Senders and Receivers

*Digest: Beyond Transition: Ensuring

Continuity in Early Childhood Services

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2

Newsprint, markers

Activity 2-2: Partner

Meeting (W)

45-60

minutes

Handout 15: Transition Issues

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2

Notepaper

Activity 2-3: Sender and

Receiver Roles (C)

Two

30-60

minute

sessions

Handout 12: Sharing Information

Handout 16: Kendra's Story

*Digest: Continuity of Care and the

Importance of Relationships

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2

Activity 2-4:

Setting Characteristics (W)

60-90

minutes

Handout 17: Settings and Continuity

*Hands-on Activities

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2

Newsprint, markers

* = Refer to Informational Resources Section

W = Workshop Activities C = Coaching Activities

Introduction 7
Introduction

Module Activity Time Materials and

Resources

Module 2:

Transition and

Continuity

(Continued)

Activity 2-5: Preparing

the Child and Family (C)

Three

30-60

minute

sessions

Handout 17: Settings and Continuity

*Hands-on Activities

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2

Module 3:

Partnerships for

Continuity

Activity 3-1: Common

Ground (W)

90-120

minutes

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3

Newsprint

Activity 3-2: Find a

Partner (C)

Three

20-40

minute

sessions

*Program Profiles

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3

Activity 3-3:

Collaborative Potluck (W)

60-90

minutes

Handout 18: Invitation to a

Collaborative Potluck Dinner

Handout 19: Recipe for Collaborative

Cake

Handout 20: Collaborating for Quality

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3

Paper plates, art materials

Activity 3-4: Adapting

Promising Practices (C)

Two

30-60

minute

sessions

*Program Profiles

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3

Activity 3-5: What's in

Your Journey Bag? (C)

45-60

minutes

Journey Bag, Pocket Guides

18

* = Refer to Informational Resources Section

W = Workshop Activities C = Coaching Activities

8 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Introduction

Introductory Activity:

Beginning the Journey

Purpose: In this activity, participants identify individual and program

experiences that provide a foundation for building effective transition

practices.

Materials:

Invitation to Embark on a Journey

Journey Bag, Pocket Guides 1, 2, and 3

Digest: A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities (Informational

Resources)

Personal object

Pocket folder for each participant

Trainer Preparation Notes:

By conducting this activity first, you introduce participants to effective transition practices and identify which practices are being

implemented in their programs. This information will help you

determine where to begin the training journey. Some participants

will benefit most if you begin the training with Module 1 and work

toward completing the full journey (Modules 1, 2, and 3). Others

may need specific skills or information to help them improve their

program practices. A shorter journey can begin with Module 2 or 3

and be tailored to meet the needs of participants.

Before the workshop, send an invitation to participants such as

the Invitation to Embark on a Journey found in the Preface, or

personally invite participants to the training. Ask them to bring a

journey bag and a personal object that represents support that they

received during a significant life change or transition. The item can

be a photograph, a quote from an inspirational book, a stuffed animal from childhood, or any other symbol. Plan to bring your own

personal item.

Find the Journey Bag graphic and three Pocket Guides at the end

of this activity. You will distribute these journey materials during

this activity and refer participants to them in each workshop and

coaching activity in the guide. Either organize the materials ahead

of time or have participants organize their materials by attaching

the Journey Bag graphic to the cover of a pocket folder. Then fold

the three Pocket Guides along the dotted lines and insert them into

the Journey Bag folder.

19

Introduction 9
Introduction

Background Information

Journey Metaphor

Effective Transition Practices

Effective transition practices are based on understanding that transition is

a process, not a single event. Staff often plan an isolated event, such as an

orientation day, to prepare children for a transition. However, one visit to

a program does not prepare children and families for the new setting. In

order to increase staff awareness of the process of transition, it is helpful

to use a journey metaphor.

Each transition is like a journey that takes time, preparation, and planning.

Like a journey, the transition to a new setting offers children and families

new opportunities. To benefit from these experiences, children and families need information and resources available before, during, and after they

reach their destination.

Children are inexperienced adventurers and do not know what to expect in

a new setting. They depend on their parents to guide them and provide

ongoing support at each stage of a journey or each stage of a transition.

Just as travelers often get lost or confused by unfamiliar places and customs, children and families are often unsure what is expected and where to

find help. Like travelers who seek information and assistance from those

familiar with the surroundings, children and families look for staff in new

programs to assist them. Like any traveler, families and children cope

better when they are welcomed into the new environment and find the help

they need.

Staff from the old setting can help prepare families for new programs by

assisting them in making individualized transition plans and by sharing

information about the new setting. These staff can also help prepare those

in the new setting for the new families. As information about the family

priorities is shared, staff in the new setting can individualize their program

to provide necessary supports. Preparing all involved in the transition

helps children and families benefit from the new experiences.

Participants will be asked to envision the workshop and coaching sessions

as a journey toward effective transition practices. As they collect information, identify strategies for improving practices, and engage in new activities, they move closer to their destinationseffective transition practices.

Each module offers a different journey and helps participants develop

skills and identify new strategies that lead toward effective practices. The

journey destinations for each module can be summarized as follows:

The destinations for Module 1: Transition and Change are transition

practices that support the family and assist the child in transitioning to

the next environment.

The destinations for Module 2: Transition and Continuity are transition

practices that provide ongoing services, supports, and developmentally

10 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Introduction

Describe the Journey

Sharing Stories

appropriate learning experiences for children and families after leaving the program.

The destinations for Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity are transition practices that encourage community partners to work together to

maximize strengths and resources of the community.

1. Welcome participants to the journey toward effective transition

practices. Use the information from the Background section to

explain how transition is like a journey. Then discuss how the

training is also like a journey.

2. Point out that each participant begins the journey with a personal

perspective and understanding of transition. By sharing their

personal object and its story, workshop participants will begin

to understand the many different ways to support families and

children in transition. Show participants the object that you

brought to the workshop and explain how the object represents

support you received during a transition. Then ask participants to

share their personal object and transition stories.

Internal and External Supports 3. Point out that each participant brought an object and story that tells

about an internal or an external support. Explain that internal supports are personal characteristics, skills, beliefs, and values. External

supports refer to people, activities, and environments. Help the group

identify their personal supports as internal or external ones. Then ask:

Relate Coping to Supports

Effective Transition Practices

How do you think the supports identified as internal ones relate to

external ones? (For example, was a belief in yourself developed

because someone else believed in you?)

What internal supports might young children have?

What role does the family have in helping children develop

internal supports?

4. Summarize the information contained in the Digest: A Child's

Emerging Coping Abilities, located in the Informational Resources

section, to explain how families help children develop internal supports.

5. Distribute the Journey Bag folder and explain that participants can

organize the information collected throughout the training in this

Journey Bag. Refer them to the three Pocket Guides. Explain that each

one represents a different journey through a training module. Discuss

the effective transition practices listed as destinations in the first

Introduction 11
Introduction

Assess Current Practices

Journey Point

column of each guide. Ask participants to list current practices under

starting points and to highlight those destinations they would like to

reach.

6. Review and assess the practices that participants identified in their

Pocket Guides. Help them choose a journey that will take them from

where they are to where they want to be. Be sure to consider expanding the effectiveness of the training by inviting staff from other programs and agencies to participate in the sessions. You can use the

following guidelines to tailor the training.

Participants whose current practices listed in Pocket Guide 1 indicate that transition efforts focus on one-time events and involve

few staff members would benefit from the full journey beginning

with Module 1 workshop and coaching activities.

Participants who listed more effective practices in Pocket Guide 1,

but had few practices listed on Pocket Guide 2, would benefit if

they began their journey with Module 1 or 2 workshop and coaching activities.

Participants who listed some effective practices for both Pocket

Guides 1 and 2 would benefit if they began their journey with

Module 1, 2, or 3 workshop and coaching activities.

Participants with some effective practices listed in each Pocket

Guide would benefit from any journey, especially if it were conducted as joint training with other program staff.

You have now reached your first Journey Point, as indicated by the backpack icon. Explain to participants that at each subsequent Journey Point,

they will list strategies that will help them improve their practices and

build on their experience. Have them personalize the Pocket Guide for the

chosen journey by labeling and illustrating their destination on the cover.

22

12 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Journey Bag

Transition is a journey.. .
NOTES: I DISCOVERIES: o
JOURNEY Transition S: Change DESTINATION: This journey leads toward effective transition practices that support children and families in transitioning to the new environment. STARTING POINTS: List what you are doing now to support children and families in transitioning to the new environment. STRATEGIES TO REACH DESTINATION: At each Journey Point list new strategies that you can use to make your current transition practices more effective. Procedures for registration and withdrawal address each stage of the change process, the individual needs of each child, and the developmental stage of children served. All staff are involved in preparing children and families for new settings and in providing a welcoming environment to those entering the program. Transition program events and other initiatives are sched- uled year round to support children and families in the process of transitioning into and out of the program. Current transition procedures: Current staff involvement and support: Current transition initiatives: Strategies for addressing needs with new transition procedures: Strategies for increasing staff involvement and support: Strategies for offering new transition initiatives:
NOTES: I DISCOVERIES: 28
JOURNEY 2: Transition & Continuity DESTINATION: This journey leads toward effective transition practices that provide for ongoing services, supports, and develop- mentally appropriate experiences. STARTING POINTS: List what you are doing now to provide for ongoing services, supports, and developmentally appropriate experiences. STRATEGIES TO REACH DESTINATION: At each Journey Point list new strategies that you can use to make your current transition practices more effective. Information is shared among key partners to identify transition needs and develop strategies for meeting these needs. Senders and receivers coordinate transition planning to ensure the continuation of quality programs and services. Efforts are made by both senders and receivers to prepare families and children for the differences between settings and to introduce new experiences gradually. Current methods for sharing information: Current methods for coordinating transition planning: Current efforts to address differences among settings: Strategies for sharing information with key partners: Strategies for coordinating efforts to continue services and developmentally appropriate practices: Strategies for maximizing similarities and minimizing differences among settings: 30
NOTES: I DISCOVERIES: 32 Partnerships for Continuity
JOURNEY 3: Partnerships for Continuity DESTINATION: This journey leads toward effective transition practices that encourage community partners to work together to maximize the strengths and resources of the community. STARTING POINTS: List what you are doing now to establish partnerships and work collaboratively for children and families. STRATEGIES TO REACH DESTINATION: At each Journey Point list new strategies that you can use to make your current transition practices more effective. Members of the early childhood community are strongly connected, support each other's efforts, and work together. Key partners pool their skills and resources to provide continuity of services. Current networking practices: Strategies for networking and strengthening community partnerships: Current collaborative transition efforts: Strategies for collaborating:
sompow 

2uIuIEJI 

PosEENIPTS 
Module 1

Transition and Change

Outcomes

Key Concepts

As a result of completing this module, participants will be able to:

Evaluate the impact of transitions on individuals and how they are

helped by various internal and external supports

Identify the stages of the change process experienced during transitions and the factors that influence the ability to cope with change

Develop effective transition practices to address the individual and

developmental needs of children and families who are adapting to

expected and unexpected changes in routines, roles, environments,

and relationships

Develop strategies to involve all staff in continuously supporting children and families as they experience transition

When children and families transition from one setting to another,

they inevitably encounter change, which requires them to adapt their

thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to meet the new expectations.

While everyone experiences the process of adapting to change differently, common stages of the process include:

Letting go

Uncertainty

Taking hold

Knowing how transition affects you can provide a basis for understanding the internal change process. Helping children and families

who may experience the process differently requires shifting the perspective away from yourself.

Team transition planning involves all staff and parents in developing

comprehensive strategies to provide support, information, and continuity of experience to families and children. Program strategies

should include a wide range of practices to address transition throughout the year.

Parents provide stability for children and can facilitate continuity

when they are included in the transition process.

Transition and Change 23

37
Module 1

Background Information

Supporting Children and Families

Process of Adapting to Change

All cultures acknowledge major life events such as births, coming of age,

marriage, and death with rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations. These rites

of passage mark the end of one stage of life and the beginning of another.

However, development does not happen abruptly. Through continuous

growth and experience, children mature at their individual rates. They do

not instantly become adults at age eighteen, nor do they instantly become

ready for an academic environment at age five or six. Instead, developmental transitions occur over time as children are cared for in nurturing

environments that meet their individual needs. Gradually their ability to

adapt to changing expectations increases as they develop.

Ideally, children would move to new early childhood settings only during

periods of developmental stability. In reality, transitions between early

childhood settings do not always coincide with a child's individual developmental needs. Change occurs because of many reasons. Some programs,

like traditional Head Start, serve children for a limited time. Other programs, like family day care, may be available for longer periods but often

have changes in enrollment due to family circumstances.

Children cope with transitions differently depending on internal supports,

individual developmental needs, and the amount of resources available to

the family. Internal supports include the temperament a child is born

with and other unique characteristics and abilities that develop as the child

grows. Each of these factors affects how much external support is needed

to ease transitions for both child and family. External supports are the

people, activities, and environments that help children accomplish developmental tasks and cope with change and stress. Comprehensive strategies

and involvement of all staff and parents in ongoing transition practices

increase the likelihood that program supports will help ease both planned

and unplanned transitions.

Throughout early childhood, both children and their parents experience

transition as a process of adapting to change. This process occurs as

children and parents adapt their thoughts, feelings, and behavior to prepare

for and cope with multiple changes. Not only is the environment different,

but the caregivers are new, the routines may be different, and program

policies vary. These changes in setting create both subtle and abrupt

changes in expectations. For example, the child accustomed to napping in

her own crib may suddenly be faced with sleeping on a cot in a large

classroom. An older child who has been encouraged to explore learning

centers finds he is expected to sit quietly and complete academic exercises. Parents who have been responsible for meeting their child's special

needs must develop advocacy skills to ensure that the needs continue to be

met in the new setting.

When adults understand the change process from a personal perspective,

they can appreciate the need for supports that children have during

24 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1

Letting Go

Uncertainty

Taking Hold

transition. Even adults, who have acquired more internal resources, often

need outside support to let go of old patterns of behavior and take hold of

new roles. As individuals look for ways to accomplish these two tasks,

they struggle through a stage of uncertainty, not knowing exactly how to

maintain their sense of self as they change. Although each person experiences the change process differently, there are three common stages of the

process, which are characterized by specific thoughts, behaviors, and

feelings.

Whether planned or unplanned, a transition affects relationships. Feelings

of sadness and resistance to change occur as individuals experience the

letting go stage of the change process. When individuals experience

changes in their lives, they need to acknowledge what they are losing

whether it is an attachment to people, roles, or settings. They also need to

celebrate what they have gained. Rites of passage during developmental

transitions provide individuals with a formal acknowledgment of their

accomplishment and symbolic support as they meet new challenges. Similarly, ending ceremonies and celebrations such as retirement parties serve

this purpose during personal transitions. Formal celebrations are not the

only way to mark transitions. Regular ongoing activities such as making

scrapbooks, taking photographs, or making mementos of who or what you

are leaving all offer individuals a way to celebrate the past.

Transition can cause fears, concerns, and mixed feelings. Transition creates confusion and makes it difficult for people to act on their own during

the uncertainty stage. It is a time when people need extra encouragement

and support. Individuals in this stage may have difficulty understanding

the connection that their past experience has to the new one. Providing

information and support during a change helps those affected to imagine

how their skills will help them in a new role.

Because children are concrete learners, they gain information best by visiting a new setting or taking part in joint activities with older peers from the

new setting. After the visit or activity, children can express their feelings

by writing stories, drawing pictures, or discussing stories about transition.

Conducting these follow-up activities with children helps adults understand children's feelings. An understanding adult can help the children by

calming concerns.

Taking hold of new thoughts, feelings, and actions allows individuals to

change so they can meet new demands. This stage begins with the individuals in transition clarifying expectationslearning the rules, defining

responsibilities, and knowing when they have done something right. Individuals in this stage are ready to change their behavior when they understand expectations. They express confidence and an appreciation for the

personal growth that they gain by accepting new challenges. It is not

easy to take hold of new expectations when they do not relate to past

Transition and Change 25

3
Module 1

Effective Transition Practices

Journey Point

Activity 1-1:

The Change

Process

Explain the Stages of Change

experiences. However, when individuals find that they are prepared for

these new challenges, transitions become an opportunity for growth and

development.

Effective transition practices address the needs of children and families

even before they enter a program and continue after they leave the setting.

Staff can provide continuous support at all stages of the change process.

For example, celebrations help children in the letting go stage. Answering

questions both formally and informally assists children and parents in the

uncertainty stage. Setting up buddy systems for children and families who

have left the setting helps create a welcoming atmosphere so important to

the taking hold stage.

Throughout this document, participants are asked to think of the training

as a journey toward effective transition practices. At the end of each

workshop and coaching activity, there is a place to stop on this journey,

or Journey Point, so that participants can organize their materials and

thoughts. In this module, at each Journey Point the trainer refers participants to their Journey Bag and Pocket Guide 1. These tools, and a summary of the journey, are provided in the Introductory Activity: Beginning

the Journey, on page 9.

Purpose: In this activity, participants will become familiar with the

common stages of the change process that individuals experience during

transitions.

Materials:

Handouts 1 and 2

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1 (Introduction)

Newsprint, markers

1. Using examples from the Background Information section, discuss the

relationship between transition and change. Define the stages in the

change process.

Letting gofocusing on the old role or setting and celebrating

where we have come from

Uncertaintypicturing and preparing for new possibilities

Taking holdacquiring new roles and behaviors to adapt to the

change

40

26 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1

Create Personal Timelines

Review Timelines

Discuss Behavior of Children

Distribute Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change and provide

an overview of the thoughts, feelings, and behavior associated with

each stage of the change process.

2. Ask participants to think about a personal transition experience and

how they felt about the transition over an extended period of time.

Then distribute Handout 2: Timeline for Adapting to Change and explain to participants how to use the handout to illustrate their personal

process of adapting to change. Tell participants to label the stages in

the order that they were experienced and shade in the number of

months that each stage lasted.

3. Illustrate several personal timelines on newsprint. Use samples from

volunteers in the workshop or use several hypothetical timelines.

Compare these samples and then ask participants:

When did you experience each stage of change?

How long did each stage last?

Were there any time periods when you experienced more than one

stage or when feelings from an earlier stage reoccurred?

4. Have participants think about how children act when they are entering

the program or preparing to leave. For example, some children cry

easily, others cling to their caregiver, and some talk about friends that

they will leave behind. Ask:

What feelings might children be experiencing when they behave

in these ways?

What other ways have children in your program communicated

that they are experiencing the process of adapting to change?

What strategies have you found to be successful in helping children during this time?

Review Individual Differences 5. Discuss individual differences in adapting to change. Make the following points:

Each child experiences the change process in a unique way.

Individual temperament, previous experiences, and the nature of

the change affect how children act and feel during the process.

The amount of time and support it takes to meet individual needs

at each stage of the change process varies.

Transition and Change 27
Module 1

Review Needs

Journey Point

Activity 1-2:

Family Changes

Review the Change Process

Discuss Family Changes

Complete Interviews

6. Refer participants to Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change

and review the needs for each stage. Have them brainstorm ways to

meet these needs of children and families in their program and list

their ideas on newsprint. Summarize by making these points:

Each stage involves a need that can be addressed through effective

transition practices.

Program events and procedures can support families and children

throughout the change process.

Individual strategies are often required to meet the unique needs

of children and families.

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 1 to list strategies that address

the needs of children and families experiencing change. Then ask them to

share their ideas with a partner.

Purpose: In this activity, participants will evaluate the impact of family

changes on children and investigate factors that influence children's ability to adapt to the changes.

Materials:

Handouts 1 and 3

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1 (Introduction)

1. Distribute Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change and review

the stages of the process during the first coaching session.

2. Discuss family changes that participants feel have had an impact on

children in their program. Some examples might include a parent

moving out of the home, the birth of a sibling, or a change in the family income. Ask:

How do children behave when their families experience these

changes?

What might the children's behavior tell us about their feelings and

thoughts about the change?

How do these reactions compare to the reactions listed on

Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change?

3. Ask participants to identify three children in their program whose

families are experiencing one of the changes discussed. Give

28 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1

Compare Individual Experiences

Develop a Plan

Journey Point

participants a copy of Handout 3: Children and Change to complete

for each child. Ask them to interview staff members who work closely

with each child and family. Remind them that sensitivity is required

when discussing confidential information. Participants who work directly with the children and families can include child and family observations and interviews as appropriate.

4. Conduct a second coaching session to discuss and compare the individual experiences of these children. Point out the following factors

that can influence how a child reacts to change: the child's age and

developmental stage, the child's temperament, the support the child is

receiving from family members and staff, and the child's individual

needs. Questions to discuss include:

What factors might be influencing both the reaction of the child

and the strategies being used to assist the child?

What strategies seem to be working with all the children?

Do the children share any similar reactions? What reactions are

different?

5. Work with participants to develop a plan for routinely identifying

available supports to children. The plan will vary depending on the

staff responsibilities. Some examples follow:

Administrators might develop an intake form or interview format

to use with families as children enter the program.

Teachers might develop an activity that encourages children to

express their supports through art or dramatic play.

Home visitors might develop a record keeping system to document the family supports that they observe during home visits.

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 1 to list new strategies for meeting the individual needs of children in transition. Have them share their

ideas with someone outside the coaching session.

Transition and Change 29

43
Module 1

Activity 1-3:

Pass the Baton

Discuss Program Year

Introduce Lap Concept

Purpose: In this activity, participants will develop strategies for all staff

and parents to support families and children in the continuous cycle of

transition.

Materials:

Handouts 4 and 5

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1 (Introduction)

Masking tape, paper towel roll

Trainer Preparation Notes:

While this activity addresses the transitions that occur in Head

Start programs, it can easily be adapted for other settings that

workshop participants may represent. Arrange the room so the

center is free from chairs and tables. Use masking tape to create a

large oval track on the floor with a designated starting point. Make

a baton with a paper towel roll.

1. Distribute Handout 4: Addressing Change. Ask participants to select

transition practices on the handout that are helpful at the following

times of the year:

Beginning of the program year

Middle of the program year

End of the program year

Point out that many practices are useful at several points of the

year because children and families are experiencing transition

continuously.

2. Ask participants to imagine Head Start families walking separate laps

around a track at the beginning of the year when they enter the program, during the year as they experience personal transitions, and later

as they prepare to transition to the next setting. Ask them to imagine

staff members joining families on the track as a relay team that provides support.

The first staff person to meet the family walks with them for a

time, carrying a baton of support.

When the staff team member is finished providing support, he

passes the baton to another team member.

The relay continues as families walk each transition lap.

30 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

44;i
Module 1

Role Play

Personal Transitions

Transitioning Out of Head Start

Small Group Discussions

Summarize Roles

Journey Point

3. Explain that the track around the room allows participants to practice

working as part of a team that provides continuous support. Ask all

staff who help families transition into the program and two volunteers

to represent a parent and child entering the program to go to the track.

Give the baton to the staff member who begins the process and have

her walk with the family, acting out her role and describing the support she can provide to the family. Explain that in the first lap, the

starting staff member passes the baton of support to another when she

completes her role, and the process continues until all staff have acted

out their roles.

4. Then ask the parent and child to begin the second lap withoutstaff

support. As they walk the lap, ask them to pretend that they are experiencing a personal transition that might occur during the child's enrollment in the Head Start program. Tell the parent and child that during

the role play they can call on staff members to provide support. Give

those staff the baton of support and have them join in the role play.

Examples of personal transitions include birth of a sibling or change in

the parents' employment.

5. Call all staff members who transition families out of Head Start to

walk a third lap in the same way that they did in the first lap. At the

end of the lap, pass the baton to the parent, who will continue to support the child through all of life's transitions.

6. Distribute Handout 5: Involving All Staff. Divide participants into

three groups. Tell them to discuss how to improve their teamwork

and involve more staff and parent volunteers in their transition team.

Assign each group one of the following laps:

Lap 1: Transition into Head Start

Lap 2: Personal transitions during the year

Lap 3: Transition out of Head Start

7. Reconvene the entire group and ask each group to share their ideas.

Point out that each team member needs to know his role in order to

provide effective transitions throughout the year.

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 1 to list new strategiesfor involving all staff in supporting families and children. Have them share their

strategies with a partner.

Transition and Change 31

45
Module 1

Activity 1-4:

Developmental

Spiral

Discuss Children's Feelings

Compare Adult and Child Supports

Review Developmental Tasks

Purpose: In this activity, participants will identify children's emerging

capacity to cope with change so staff can develop expectations and supports that match developmental needs.

Materials:

Handouts 6 and 7

Digest: A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities (Informational

Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1 (Introduction)

Newsprint, markers, scissors

1. Remind participants that the change process is a universal one. Discuss how the feelings and needs of children experiencing a change in

caregiver or setting can be very similar to those experienced by adults

who move or change jobs. Use the following examples to explain

how children are less able to understand, express, and control their

feelings:

A toddler in the uncertainty stage of the change process may be

feeling anxious and insecure; she may cling to her mother, experience nightmares, or draw attention to herself by acting out or

regressing.

Older children in the uncertainty stage, who can express themselves, may share their anxious feelings by asking questions or

telling their parent that a monster is after them.

2. Tell the group that to begin to get a picture of the internal supports a

child develops over time, we can think about supports adults rely on as

they adapt to change. Some examples follow:

Social skills, such as the ability to make friends easily, help adults

when they are in new situations. Even though children throughout

early childhood are developing social skills, at age seven or eight

they still need adult guidance in order to share and get along with

others.

Personal beliefs, such as the belief that things will improve over

time, help adults manage difficult times. Young children do not

have enough understanding of time or experience to develop these

strong beliefs.

3. In early childhood, children are referred to as infants, toddlers,

preschoolers, kindergartners, and primary school children based on

their developmental stage. The child's developmental stage affects

the kind of supports he needs. Such supports help young children accomplish certain developmental tasks, or the abilities common to the

32 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

4E
Module 1

Review Developmental Spiral

Create a Spiral of Support

child's specific stage of development. For more information on child

development, refer to the training guide Enhancing Children's Growth

and Development in the series Training Guides for the Head Start

Learning Community.

Summarize the child's developmental stages, needs, and tasks on

newsprint as follows:

Infants need nurturing and responsive care to develop a sense of

trust and security.

Toddlers need safe opportunities to do things for themselves to

develop independence.

Preschoolers need opportunities to express themselves with adults

and peers to develop communication and social skills.

Kindergartners need appropriate challenges to build their skills

and develop a sense of competency.

Primary school children need environments that foster acceptance

and cooperation to develop a sense of belonging to a peer group.

4. Distribute Handout 6: Developmental Spiral. Explain that child

growth and development can be envisioned as a spiral. Tell participants that to help children and families, it is important to get a clear

picture of how internal and external supports help children move

through the spiral.

5. Ask for a volunteer to stand in front of the group, representing the

infant in the center of the spiral of Handout 6. Tell participants to

think about how infants develop trust and security. Ask them to name

external supports that meet the infant's need for nurturing care. Proceed as follows:

Have the first person who names a support link arms with the

person representing the child.

As participants name other supports for meeting the infant's

needs, have them continue to link arms and encircle the child like

the spiral on the handout.

Once several supports are identified for this stage of development,

tell the group to lead the child one step forward to move into the

next stage of development.

Transition and Change 33

4?
Module 1

Continue the Spiral

If they are experiencing difficulty moving to the next stage, point

out that children do sometimes encounter difficulties as supports

and expectations change during transition.

6. Ask participants to continue the spiral outward by naming external

supports that will help this child in the next stage of development.

Refer to the developmental tasks and needs listed on newsprint. As

you introduce each subsequent developmental stage, tell the group to

take one step forward. Continue the line of supports as a spiral around

the child. If the participants seem to be limiting their responses, you

can suggest these examples:

Involve All Participants 7.

Movement Activity 8.

Interpret the Spiral Activity 9.

A parent who provides a step stool for a toddler to wash her own

hands supports her growing independence.

An older sibling helps a preschooler develop social skills by playing games with him.

Kindergarten teachers help new students know what they are capable of doing by displaying their work.

Recreation leaders help primary grade children learn to get along

with peer groups when they organize club or sport activities for

this age group.

Encourage any remaining participants to represent the external supports that meet children's needs associated with ongoing developmental tasks. These tasks include developing a disposition to learn

(enthusiasm), motor control, emotional control, and a sense of self. If

participants cannot think of any more supports, others can suggest some

so that the remaining participants can represent them in the spiral.

Now that everyone is part of the child's support system, ask participants to stay linked together as the child leads them through the room.

Then thank all participants for their willingness to support the child as

she moved through the developmental stages of early childhood and

for continuing to hold onto the child when she took the lead.

Demonstrate how Handout 6: Developmental Spiral can be cut along

the line of the spiral to create a long curved line. Explain to participants that the spiral represents the flow of children's growth and development. Make these points:

Just as the support system expands gradually, so does the child's

coping capacitythe ability to cope with change by relying on

internal supports.

34 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

4
Module 1

Discuss Matching Expectations

Journey Point

Activity 1-5:

Going to

Kindergarten

Transitions might be seen as the kinks or turns in the spiral that

occur when children are challenged to develop new capacities.

By developing expectations and supports that match children's

capabilities, we can help them transition more easily between

settings.

10. Distribute Handout 7: Expectations and Supports That Match

Developmental Needs and tell participants that appropriate transition

expectations for young children are based on matching the child's

developmental needs with appropriate supports. Review the ideas on

the handout and summarize the information in Digest: A Child's

Emerging Coping Abilities, located in the Informational Resources

section.

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 1 to list strategies that address

the developmental needs of children. Then ask them to share their ideas

with a partner.

Purpose: In this activity, participants identify effective strategies and

initiatives to support children as they develop skills at their individual

rates.

Materials:

Handouts 8, 9, and 10

Digest: Transition to Kindergarten (Informational Resources)

Hands-on Activities: Sample Transition Activities (Informational

Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1 (Introduction)

Preschool props

Newsprint, markers

Trainer Preparation Notes:

This activity can be adapted for children experiencing transitions

at other developmental levels. Refer to the Hands-on Activities in

the Informational Resources section for strategies that assist

children during each developmental stage of early childhood.

Suggested props for this activity are toys, books, music cassettes

and cassette player, cafeteria-style trays, photographs of children

in a classroom, baby pictures, telephone, paper, and markers.

Transition and Change 35
Module 1

Introduction

List Transition Challenges

Star Items on the List

1. Ask for a show of hands from the group to see how many participants

have been involved in helping children or families in transition. Next,

ask for a show of hands from the group to see how many participants

have been involved in each of these transitions:

From home into their program

From any program to home (particularly for parents)

From their program to a child care provider before or after school

From one classroom to another classroom within their program

From their program to another school setting

2. Make two columns on newsprint. Label one column Challenging

Behavior. Ask participants to think about children who have not had

easy transitions and to discuss the challenges that their behavior created for staff. As behaviors are identified, keep a running list on the

newsprint.

3. Review the list of challenging behaviors with the group and mark a

star next to difficulties resulting from a lack of social and communication skills. Examples may include:

Cries excessively

Is unable to share toys

Does not follow caregiver directions

Discuss Research Findings 4. Summarize the information in Digest: Transition to Kindergarten,

located in the Informational Resources section as follows:

Small Group Planning

Communication and social skills are of primary importance when

children transition to kindergarten.

These skills were identified by both parents and kindergarten

teachers who were asked what skills children need to enter

kindergarten.

Current research studies have identified social and communication

skills as predictors of ongoing school success.

5. Explain that children with difficulties communicating and interacting

with others can succeed when they receive extra support. Divide participants into small groups, and distribute one scene cut out from

Handout 8: Scenes of Support to each group. Ask each group to develop a short skit using the props and specific strategy assigned on

Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support: Preschoolers/

Kindergartners.

5 °0

36 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1

Act Out Scenes of Support 6. Choose one scene and ask the two groups assigned this scene to perform their skits. Ask the groups to report how they chose their activities. Repeat the same process for the other scenes. Then ask:

What were the differences in the skills each child developed?

What additional activities might support these children?

Why might similar strategies help with different problems?

Refer participants to the Hands-on Activities located in the

Informational Resources section and explain that Sample Transition

Activities: Preschoolers/Kindergartners, Sample Transition Activities:

Infants and Toddlers, and Sample Transition Activities: Primary

School Children suggest strategies for each developmental level. Explain that for additional support, more individualized strategies and

activities may need to be developed.

Apply Strategies to Challenge List 7. Refer the group back to the newsprint list of challenges in transition

and particularly to the starred items. Label the second column

Strategies and ask the group to choose overall strategies to address the

needs of these children. Discuss their ideas and write them in the

Strategies column.

Discuss Appropriate Expectations

Journey Point

8. Distribute Handout 10: Expectations and Supports That Match

Individual Needs. Discuss why it is necessary to consider individual

needs and strengths to develop appropriate expectations and strategies.

For more information on identifying individual strengths and strategies for supporting resiliency, see Promoting Mental Health, one of

the guides in the series Training Guides for the Head Start

Learning Community.

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 1 to list strategies for offering

new transition initiatives. Then ask them to share their ideas with a

partner.

5"

Transition and Change 37
Module 1

Activity 1-6:

Bringing It All

Together

Purpose: In this activity, participants develop strategies that meet individual and developmental needs of children as they adapt to expected and

unexpected changes.

Materials:

Handouts 5, 10, and 11

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 1 (Introduction)

Coach Preparation Notes:

In preparation for this activity you can review the Background

Information section and the previous activities in the module. Key

terms to become familiar with include internal supports, external

supports, developmental stages, coping capacity, and transition.

Review Concepts 1.

Discuss Children in Transition 2.

Develop Strategies of Support 3.

Recruit Additional Staff Members 4.

During an initial coaching session, discuss the following concepts:

internal supports, external supports, developmental stages, coping

capacity, and transition. Find out how participants would define the

terms and why they feel it is necessary to understand these concepts to

effectively assist children in transition.

Ask those in the session to identify one child who is preparing for or

experiencing a transition. Help participants use Handout 11: Bringing

It All Together to identify factors that might impact the child's

experience.

Distribute Handout 10: Expectations and Supports That Match

Individual Needs. Help participants use the handout to develop specific supports for the child identified in Step 2. Remind participants

that strategies need to address the family as well as the individual

child. Have them record their strategies on Handout.]]: Bringing It

All Together.

Distribute Handout 5: Involving All Staff. Have participants identify

other staff members who can help implement the strategies. Help

participants plan ways to involve these staff members and ask them to

implement their plan over the next few weeks. Schedule a follow-up

session to discuss results.

52

38 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1

Evaluate Activities 5. At the follow-up session discuss:

Journey Point

Next Steps:

Ideas to Extend

Practice

How were the strategies implemented?

How did the support offered impact the child and family?

What other types of support and staff involvement might help in

the future?

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 1 to list new strategies for

involving all staff in supporting families and children. Have them share

their strategies with someone outside the coaching session.

The following activities can help participants review key information,

practice skills, and assess their understanding of the concepts in this

module.

Conduct a staff meeting to discuss expectations that all staff have

about children transitioning in or out of the program. Use Handout 7:

Expectations and Supports That Match Developmental Needs as a

basis of discussion. Ask staff to share their expectations of children

and what ideas on the handout they might like to implement. Brainstorm ways that the program can work together to increase support

during transitions. You may choose to invite an expert in child development or a mental health consultant to assist in identifying ways that

the entire program could make staff expectations more appropriate for

children.

If there are some children that are not responding to the transition

strategies the program has developed, outside consultants may help.

Ask a local mental health specialist to identify the child's specific

needs and individualize transition strategies. Make sure that parents

have been consulted about the child and included in developing transition plans before calling a consultant. Explain to parents the advantage

of including a consultant and be sure that they have given permission

for the consultant to observe the child and review records. Ask the

consultant to evaluate the child's coping capacity and provide additional community referrals if necessary.

Use Handout 6: Developmental Spiral to help families recognize the

importance of providing supports throughout early childhood. This

activity could be introduced in a session with an individual family,

during a workshop for parents, or during a parent-child program.

Transition and Change 39

53
Module 1

Give family members a copy of the handout. Explain how each loop

of the spiral represents a stage of development, or a time when a child

is working on a specific developmental task. Family members can

discuss the supports that they have already provided at each stage of

development, listing them next to the appropriate developmental

stage. Then help family members identify the supports that they can

provide during future developmental stages, listing them next to the

appropriate stage.

Once all supports are identified, ask the child and family to decorate

and personalize the spiral. As a final step, tell them to cut along the

line to create a three-dimensional spiral. Discuss the growth that the

spiral represents. Encourage each family to discuss the spiral with

their child and to proudly display the spiral as a symbol of ongoing

growth and support.

40 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Handout 1: The Process of Adapting to Change Stages Needs Reactions Acting Thinking Feeling Letting Go Acknowledgement of accomplishments Continuing support Symbol of what is being left Time to express feelings Remember the past Think about what you are leaving Imagine leaving people, places, and things behind Plan to leave some things and take others Understand what you gained from the past Not ready for change Emotional attachment to the way things have been Sadness about leaving Pride in accomplishments Appreciate personal growth from experiences Appreciate relationships that will continue to provide support Resist change Behave in routine ways Express feelings and thoughts about past experience Celebrate accomplishments Physically leave setting and end old role End some relationships and continue others Uncertainty Accurate information Encouragement Acknowledgement of skills and strengths Time to express feelings Doubt ability to cope with change Believe that you need others to guide and support you Imagine what will be expected when the change occurs Imagine many ways that you might act, feel, and relate when the change occurs Unable to adapt Insecure Want information Confused Anxious Anticipation Anxiety Out-of-place Excitement Hopeful Express feelings and thoughts Ask questions Seek help Delay or hesitate to take steps towards change Test some new behaviors Taking Hold Direction Feedback Challenge Positive results Plan strategies to get help with the change Clarify expectations Evaluate response to behavior Modify strategies Believe you know how to act in new setting Understand new experiences promote personal growth Accepted Ready for change Able to adapt Want to learn Encouraged Hopeful Confident Change behavior as directed or according to others' response Gradually ask for less help Take initiative 55 ry 53
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 2: Timeline for Adapting to Change

Personal Transition

In the space above, identify a transition you have experienced (e.g., new job, moving, new baby).

Think about the stages of change you experienced and the length of time each stage lasted. Under the

timeline, label the first stage to indicate how you were feeling initially: letting go, uncertainty, or taking

hold. Shade in one box for each month you were in this stage. Repeat for the second and third stages. (Note:

Everyone experiences the process of change differently. You may not have experienced all three stages.)

c.)

0

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

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I

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I

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1

I I

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I

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----I 1

First Stage Stage Third Stage

42 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 3: Children and Change

Note: Be sensitive to issues of confidentiality. Use this handout to interview staff. If you observe the

child or family, make notes on a sheet of paper.

Child's Name and Age:

Family Change.

1. In general, how has the child reacted to the change?

2. What specific changes in behavior have been observed?

3. What has the child said about his or her feelings and thoughts?

4. What strategies has the family used to help the child cope with the change?

5. What strategies has the program staff used to help the child cope with the change?

6. What strategies seem to help the child?

7. What strategies do not seem to help the child?

Transition and Change

5 ")

43
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 4: Addressing Change

Letting Go

Identify differences between settings for child and family.

Plan celebrations that acknowledge accomplishments.

Provide opportunities for sharing feelings about the transition.

Give a symbolic remembrance to those leaving the setting.

Invite children and families back to the setting for special events.

Encourage children and families to maintain friendships with peers.

Provide ongoing support to child and family.

Uncertainty

Arrange visits to meet the new caregiver in the new setting.

Help the child know what the new setting will be like.

Provide information to parents about the new setting, including their role in it.

Provide information to parents on how to support their child in transition.

Assess child's developmental ability to cope with change.

Gradually introduce changes in current setting to prepare child for new one.

Provide ongoing support to child.

Develop a plan for ongoing family services.

Taking Hold

Communicate information about the child to new caregiver.

Encourage the family to share information about the child with new caregiver.

Transfer child and family records with parental consent.

Arrange joint transition planning meetings.

Create a welcoming environment for children and families.

Incorporate familiar practices from old setting into new setting.

Assess effectiveness of strategies in helping the child adjust to new setting.

Revise strategies based on child's adaptation to new setting.

Provide ongoing support to child and family.

Ell Exchange information about the child on an ongoing basis.

44 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 5: Involving All Staff

All Staff

Establish partnerships with parents.

Welcome children and families.

Incorporate familiar practices into daily routine.

Incorporate home culture and language into the program.

Participate in transition strategy meetings.

Network within the community.

Program Administrators/Coordinators

Participate in community agencies as board members.

Provide release time for transition planning, joint training, and site visitation.

Coordinate interagency agreements.

Define staff roles in transition.

Involve all staff in orientation sessions for new families.

Organize visitation days for families, children, and staff from other settings.

Promote your program through the media and networking within the community.

Health/Nutrition Services

Conduct joint health screenings, health fairs, and registration days.

Coordinate joint health campaigns with community agencies and schools.

Distribute literature and newsletters to community partners.

Advise families of school health record requirements.

Participate in I.E.P. meetings.

Institute buddy system in cafeteria.

Share successful multicultural menus with partners.

Prepare preschoolers for cafeteria by instituting cafeteria days.

Organize social events for children and families, such as potluck dinners,

multicultural food night, or make-a-friend-at-lunch days.

Disabilities Services

Coordinate I.E.P. meetings.

Provide technical assistance to staff members.

Coordinate efforts with teachers, parents, and specialists.

Develop written transition plans for individuals with disabilities.

Assist families in accessing services.

Coordinate screening and follow-up special services.

Assist parents in advocating for children with special needs.

Develop peer support systems such as lunch buddies or sign language classes for

all children.

Transition and Change

60

45
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 5: Involving All Staff (Continued)

Family Services/Parent Involvement

Organize parent information nights with former Head Start parents as speakers.

Provide materials at home that involve parents in their child's education.

Assist public schools in implementing home visiting.

Communicate the strengths and goals of families leaving the program.

Initiate peer support groups for parents who have left the program.

Organize programwide family social-events.

Link families to appropriate services and follow up recommendations.

Collaborate with partners to pool resources.

Education Services

Invite families and children to visit the classroom before and after enrollment.

Communicate regularly with families.

Conduct home visits and visits to other settings.

Invite teachers from other settings to visit your classroom.

Organize I.E.P. and transition planning meetings.

Plan end-of-the-year or goodbye celebrations.

Provide information to children and families leaving the program.

Coordinate staff use of familiar cues and routines to ease transitions.

Coordinate transition planning meetings.

Support Staff/Volunteers

Janitors provide tour of the building.

Bus drivers help children practice bus procedures before transition.

Cooks meet with parents and include family recipes in menus.

Parent volunteers provide peer support to new families.

Office personnel respond to telephone queries and confirm procedures

for transfer of records.

Specialists

School specialists coordinate multi-age activities (e.g., art and music programs).

Training specialists coordinate efforts with partners to provide joint training.

Consultants facilitate meetings between staff from various settings.

46 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 6: Developmental Spiral

Developmental Stage Developmental Task

Infant Trust and Security

Toddler Independence

Preschooler Communication and Social Skills

Kindergartner Sense of Competency

Primary School Child Sense of Belonging

Transition and Change 62

47
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 7: Expectations and Supports

That Match Developmental Needs

Expect Infants and Toddlers to transition best when they have opportunities to

gradually establish trust and familiarity.

Arrange for parents and children to visit new setting frequently.

Arrange frequent visits of new caregiver to current setting.

Introduce child gradually into new setting.

Develop flexible routines oriented to individual child.

Establish daily, two-way communication with families.

Provide extra support to children and families as they adjust to new setting.

Expect Preschoolers and Kindergartners to transition best when concrete experiences,

repetition, and guidance are provided to help them anticipate the transition.

Arrange visits to new setting to meet teacher.

Arrange home visits and visits to old setting by new teacher.

Ensure that messages from parents and caregivers are simple and consistent.

Introduce child to cues and routines that will be continued in new setting.

Encourage child to express feelings and fantasies about the transition.

Provide opportunities to develop language and social skills.

Enhance parent's role through parent education, support, and involvement.

Expect Primary School Children to transition best when adults clarify expectations,

give them a role in problem solving, and familiarize them with new teachers and peers.

Arrange visits to new setting to meet teachers and peers.

Arrange home visits and visits to sending classroom by new teacher.

Present accurate information to child and answer all questions.

Arrange for mixed-age or joint-class activities throughout the year.

Provide time in class for social interaction and group problem solving withpeers.

Enhance parent's role through parent education, support, and involvement.

48 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

63
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 8: Scenes of Support

Note: Give each group one of the following scenes to act out. Point out that although groups may be

assigned the same scene, they will use different strategies to support the child.

Jamal, the Teacher's Helper

Scene: Support Jamal by providing activities that help him test new ways of interacting with children. See activity suggestions for Strategy 3 on Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support:

Preschoolers/Kindergartners.

Jamal spends most of the day following the teacher and sharing stories about activities that he and

his family have done. He seldom interacts with the other children or plays with any of the toys. In

the previous setting, Jamal was the oldest child and loved helping the caregiver.

Jamal, the Teacher's Helper

Scene: Support Jamal by providing activities that build on experiences from previous settings.

See activity suggestions for Strategy 5 on Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support:

Preschoolers/Kindergartners.

Jamal spends most of the day following the teacher and sharing stories about activities that he and

his family have done. He seldom interacts with the other children or plays with any of the toys. In

the previous setting, Jamal was the oldest child and loved helping the caregiver.

Maria Goes to Kindergarten

Scene: Support Maria by providing activities that gradually introduce some of the cues, routines,

and activities that will be part of the new setting. See activity suggestions for Strategy 1 on Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support: Preschoolers/Kindergartners.

Maria easily expresses herself when speaking Spanish. If she has difficulty understanding what

the teacher is saying in English, she asks the Spanish-speaking staff to help her. Her mother enjoys volunteering with the children and teaches them Spanish songs. Next year Maria will enter

kindergarten where there will be no Spanish-speaking staff in the classroom.

Transition and Change 49
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 8: Scenes of Support (Continued)

Maria Goes to Kindergarten

Scene: Support Maria by providing activities that build on experiences at home. See activity

suggestions for Strategy 5 on Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support: Preschoolers/Kindergartners.

Maria easily expresses herself when speaking Spanish. If she has difficulty understanding what the

teacher is saying in English, she asks the Spanish-speaking staff to help her. Her mother enjoys volunteering with the children and teaches them Spanish songs. Next year Maria will enter kindergarten where there will be no Spanish-speaking staff in the classroom.

Emily's Nightmares

Scene: Support Emily by providing activities that help her talk about the transition. See activity

suggestions for Strategy 2 on Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support: Preschoolers/Kindergartners.

Emily comes into school crying each morning. During outside playtime, she finds a spot alone to

dig in the ground. When inside, she chooses to sit in the corner and look at books. Her parents report that she is having nightmares every night.

Emily's Nightmares

Scene: Support Emily by providing a welcoming environment and activities to help her feel that she

belongs to a group. See activity suggestions for Strategy 4 on Handout 9: Strategies for Offering

Support: Preschoolers/Kindergartners.

Emily comes into school crying each morning. During outside playtime, she finds a spot alone to

dig in the ground. When inside, she chooses to sit in the corner and look at books. Her parents report that she is having nightmares every night.

U)

50 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support:

Preschoolers/Kindergartners

Strategy 1: Practice cues, routines, activities

Prepare the child for new routines:

Gradually introduce new songs, fingerplays, objects, and bathroom

procedures.

Visit the new setting to identify both familiar and unfamiliar cues and

routines.

Regularly implement some of the upcoming routines into present experiences:

Remember children's developmental capabilities.

Lining up can be difficult for preschoolersmake it a game and make it short.

Create games that require balancing objects on cafeteria trays.

Explain to parents how they can introduce cues such as songs or hand signals.

Strategy 2: Talk about transition

Talk about what will remain the same and what will change:

Show children what activities they will also do in kindergarten.

Point out staff members who they will still see.

Take pictures of the new settingtalk about it at home and at school.

Discuss the children's feelings:

Use books about change and transition to start discussions.

Use baby pictures of children to talk about changes and accomplishments.

Strategy 3: Test out new behaviors

Use play:

Provide props from the new setting for dramatic play.

Use puppets to introduce new staffhave children talk with them.

Practice skills at home and at school:

Have a cafeteria tray day.

Integrate practice of self-help skills into daily activities.

Practice calling home from the school's office.

Invite new classmates home to play.

Schedule activities with other classes.

Transition and Change

ISS

51
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 9: Strategies for Offering Support:

Preschoolers/Kindergartners (Continued)

Strategy 4: Show children that they belong

Create a welcoming environment:

Display children's names on cubbies, helper charts, and boards.

Label materials with pictures and names so children can easily find them.

Offer an accessible storage area for children's personal belongings.

Have staff greet children as they enter and say goodbye as they leave.

Provide peer buddies.

Call staff and children by name so that children learn faces and names.

Create a role for new children in all activities.

Strategy 5: Build on experiences from home and previous settings

Learn about past experiences:

111 Talk with previous caregivers to learn about children's favorite activities.

Organize a transition planning meeting.

Share children's records, with permission.

Develop an ongoing connection with home and past settings:

Organize a method for two-way communication with families.

Encourage family members to volunteer and attend school social events.

Allow children to share experiences from previous settings.

Encourage and help the child to send pictures or cards to previous caregivers.

6?

52 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 1: Transition and Change

Handout 10: Expectations and Supports That Match Individual Needs

Expect children to transition best when program staff are prepared for children and individualize the transition.

Develop activities that are based on individual needs, interests, and skills. Adapt settings to accommodate special needs of children.

Prepare staff and other children for the new child entering the program.

Expect children to transition best when program staff are flexible and evaluate if current strategies are easing the transition.

Increase expectations gradually as a child responds to routines and cues.

When difficulties arise, try new techniques.

C3 Continually share information with previous staff and families to assess the child's response.

Expect children to transition best when families are involved.

Ask families for information on the child and family.

Help families develop partnerships with caregivers and teachers.

Help families advocate for their children throughout early childhood.

Expect children to transition best when transitions

family. are planned for each child and

Hold joint transition planning meetings.

Consider family and child needs in the transition plan.

Share information formally and informally among all parties.

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Transition and Change

53
Module 1: Transition and Change

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54 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuii.v
Module 2

Transition and Continuity

Outcomes

Key Concepts

Background Information

As a result of completing this module, participants will be able to:

Define and understand the concepts of continuity and discontinuity

Identify the roles of senders and receivers in facilitating continuity

throughout the transition process

Identify key partners and develop strategies for carrying out individual

roles as both senders and receivers

Facilitate continuity for individual children and families by providing

supports and opportunities that build on developmental experiences,

family strengths, and established support systems

Transitions challenge individuals to develop new skills and meet new

expectations. If expectations are based upon the individual's experience and skills, transition becomes an opportunity for growth and

development. However, when expectations exceed the individual's

ability and are unrelated to past experiences, transitions may interfere

with development.

Continuity between settings makes possible the growth and development that can occur when individuals experience transitions. In order

to ensure continuity, staff need to identify family and child strengths

and existing support systems.

When senders and receivers work together as partners, they can facilitate continuity. Their roles include sharing information and coordinating activities.

The most successful strategy for preparing children for the changes

they will encounter during a transition is to facilitate continuity

throughout the early childhood community.

Providing experiences that match the changing developmental needs of

children from birth to age eight is an ongoing task for parents and early

childhood professionals. Children are challenged to learn new skills when

they are introduced to new activities, new curriculum, and different materials. Staff can offer new challenges within an existing program in order

to provide opportunities for children to learn and grow. At home, parents

can provide increased opportunities for independent activities and peer

interaction.

Transition and Continuity 55

0 1L
Module 2

Transitioning children to new settings is another way that parents and

early childhood staff can continue to provide new experiences for children

with changing developmental needs. When the new environment builds on

the experiences of the child, for example, by providing similar routines or

activities, there is continuity of experience for the child. Similarly, when

the new environment supports parent involvement, there is continuity of

experience for parents. If the new setting provides the same services, such

as health care or speech therapy, there is continuity in services. These are

areas where continuity between settings is provided. Continuity enables

both child and family to benefit from the challenges of change and sustain

the gains they have made in previous settings.

In transition, the program staff that are transitioning children out of the

program can be referred to as senders. Receivers are program staff that

are transitioning children into the program. They, along with parents, staff

from other programs, and community service providers, are key partners

who facilitate continuity by sharing information about the transitioning

child and family. The key partners also need to share information about

similarities and differences in setting characteristics:

Physical layout

Availability of health and social services for families and children

Kinds of activities available and curriculum philosophy

Roles of parents and staff in making decisions

Opportunities for parent involvement

Peer relationships

When information is shared, both senders and receivers can develop

appropriate strategies to provide continuity between settings. For example,

when children switch from a setting in which parents provide

transportation to a setting in which school buses provide transportation,

the daily informal parent-staff interaction at drop-off time no longer

occurs. However, staff in the new setting can still facilitate the continuity

of parent involvement. They can provide communication folders or set up

telephone times for staff to answer parents' questions and concerns.

Often the skills and behaviors developed in a previous setting cannot be

transferred to the new setting without staff support and family and child

preparation. For example, a toddler has just learned that when her primary

caregiver uses a special puppet, it is time to sit quietly for a story on her

caregiver's lap. This puppet is a cue or signal that a certain activity is

about to take place or a specific behavior is expected. However, when the

toddler moves to a new setting, she will not necessarily sit quietly for a

story with a new caregiver who uses a special song as a cue for storytime.

The toddler may not understand the new expectations such as sitting in a

circle rather than on the caregiver's lap. The child's ability to continue to

attend to storytime in the new setting depends on a joint effort among

56 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 2

senders, receivers, and parents. When the key partners work together to

gradually introduce the new cues and routines, while retaining familiar

activities, the child's transition is eased. Strategies to use for this toddler

might include:

Arrange several parent-child visits to the new setting at storytime

before the transition

Have sending staff and parents introduce the special song with the

puppet to signal storytime in the old setting

Have staff in the new setting use the same or similar puppet as a

familiar cue to the child

Allow the new child to sit on the teacher's lap when storytime is

offered at the new setting

If no effort is made to provide these supports, the child will experience

an abrupt change that does not build on past experiences, known as

discontinuity.

Discontinuity can also occur when the kind of information shared between

settings is not useful. For example, if a health care professional sends

complicated medical records to a child care facility, the specific methods

for assisting the child may not be understood by the new caregivers. However, if the child care provider requests that the health care provider complete an evaluation form with specific care instructions, then essential

information is shared. Parents or early intervention specialists could model

techniques for caregivers in the new setting to ensure a continuation of

necessary services.

Continuity can be facilitated and discontinuity can be avoided when parents and staff from various settings develop systems and networks to share

information. Since children and families are served by professionals in

numerous settings, to truly provide continuity everyone needs to recognize

the importance of sharing information and working as partners to provide

continuous support for families and children.

For more information on the concept of continuity, read Digest: Beyond

Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services located in

the Informational Resources section.

Journey Point Throughout this document, participants are asked to think of the training

as a journey toward effective transition practices. At the end of each

workshop and coaching activity, there is a place to stop on this journey,

or Journey Point, so that participants can organize their materials and

thoughts. In this module, at each Journey Point the trainer refers

Transition and Continuity 57
Module 2

Activity 2-1:

Setting Sail

Introduce Concepts

Discuss Sharing Information

Discuss Senders and Receivers

Small Group Activity

participants to their Journey Bag and Pocket Guide 2. These tools, and a

summary of the journey, are provided in the Introductory Activity:

Beginning the Journey, on page 9.

Purpose: In this activity, participants will identify information to share

and the vehicles for sharing it among staff from different settings.

Materials:

Handouts 12, 13, and 14

Digest: Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood

Services (Informational Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2 (Introduction)

Newsprint, markers

1. Using the Background Information from Module 1 and this module,

discuss and compare the definitions for transition, continuity, and

discontinuity. Introduce participants to the key elements of continuity

as discussed in Digest: Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in

Early Childhood Services, located in the Informational Resources

section. Summarize by stating that effective transition practices provide for the continuation of comprehensive, quality programs throughout early childhood.

2. Ask participants to think for a moment about how information sharing

enables them to provide comprehensive services within Head Start.

Ask participants how information is shared within their program and

the community. Make the following points:

Within Head Start, the systems or vehicles used for sharing information include child and family records, team meetings, joint

activities, and official memorandums.

To ensure that families and children experience continuity and are

supported by all those within the community, information must be

systematically shared between home, education, care, and service

settings.

3. Refer to the Background Information section to discuss the definitions

for senders and receivers. Distribute Handout 12: Sharing Information

and explain that this handout lists the kinds of information that can be

shared between senders and receivers and ways to share it.

4. Distribute Handout 13: Scenarios. Divide participants into small

groups, assigning a number from one to eight to each group, which

will identify its scenario and role as a sender or a receiver. Distribute

58 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

7'
Module 2

Illustrate Sailboat Analogy

Draw Connections

Combine Small Groups

Large Group Activity

Handout 14: Senders and Receivers and ask the groups to answer

questions one through three based on their scenario and role.

5. Reconvene the entire group. Draw a sailboat with a mast and three

sails on newsprint. Label the boat Head Start Child and the mast

Family. Label the sails: Health and Social Services, Child Care, and

Education. Tell participants that sailors depend on the strength of the

ropes that connect the sails to each other and to the mast to navigate

their boat. Like sailors on a journey, children and families depend

on strong connections between settings to sail smoothly through

transitions.

6. Ask the small groups to list the individuals and agencies involved in

each of their scenarios and record this information on the appropriate

section of the boat. For example, Katie's case involved:

Family members (Family)

School health professional who conducted the screening (Health

and Social Services and Education)

Church child care program (Child Care)

Draw connecting lines among the individuals and agencies involved in

each scenario.

7. Summarize by saying that just as a sailboat cannot sail unless the sails

are linked and strongly connected to the mast, continuity cannot be

established without vehicles for communicating information among

community programs. Ask the senders and receivers with the same

scenario to work together, comparing their answers to the first three

questions of Handout 14 and answering question four on the handout.

Refer them to Handout 12: Sharing Information and explain that this

handout may assist them with this task.

8. Reconvene the entire group. Ask each group to report their information sharing methods. List on newsprint all the vehicles for sharing

information that were identified. Once all groups have reported, ask:

Do these vehicles presently exist in your community? Are they

used communitywide or just between specific programs?

What specific benefits would result if more systems and vehicles

for sharing information throughout the community were

developed?

Transition and Continuity 59
Module 2

Journey Point

Activity 2-2:

Partner Meeting

Introduction to Activity

Small Group Assignment

Identify Difficulties

in the Role Play

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity into their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 2 to list new strategies for sharing information. Have participants share their ideas with a partner.

Purpose: In this activity, participants identify how transition issues are

resolved when senders and receivers share information and coordinate

activities.

Materials:

Handout 15

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2 (Introduction)

Notepaper

1. Tell participants that children and families often make gains in Head

Start due to the external supports provided. To maintain these gains

after the families leave the program, staff from other programs need to

be aware of the families' needs. Effective transition practices involve

working with these key partners to provide a continuation of supports.

2. Divide the participants into groups of three and distribute Handout 15:

Transition Issues. Assign each group an issue and explain that they

are to role play a transition meeting. Review these steps for the role

play:

Group members choose the role they will take: sender, receiver,

or recorder. Then they briefly discuss the issue assigned to their

group.

Senders and receivers begin the transition meeting working

together to resolve the issue.

Recorders write down difficulties that senders and receivers have

in resolving issues and make note of who else should be involved

in the meeting.

3. After role playing for a few minutes, have participants pause. Ask the

recorders if they have identified any other key partners who could

assist this transition. If another partner is identified, have the recorder

take on the role of the needed person. This might be a health or social

service worker, school administrator, parent, or other community

resource person. Remind the group that in real life the sender or

receiver would have contacted the third person.

73

60 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 2

Share and Review 4. Ask each group to share the results of their role play by answering the

following questions:

How did children and families benefit from this meeting?

What issues were resolved and which were unresolved?

What important information and strategies are added when parents and other key partners become part of the planning team?

Summarize 5. Summarize these important points:

To continue support for families and children, staff must identify

key partners and involve them in transition planning.

Journey Point

Activity 2-3:

Sender and

Receiver Roles

Children and families benefit by having individualized plans that

parents help develop.

Not all transition issues can be resolved on an individual basis.

Some larger issues require ongoing joint efforts of key partners.

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 2 to list new strategies for coordinating the continuation of services and developmentally appropriate

practices. Have them share their ideas with a partner.

Purpose: In this activity, participants evaluate the impact on continuity

when senders and receivers share information.

Materials:

Handouts 12 and 16

Digest: Continuity of Care and the Importance of Relationships

(Informational Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2 (Introduction)

Coach Preparation Notes:

Instead of using Kendra's story you can use a true story such as

one provided by a parent in your program. Ask the parent to taperecord his or her transition story. Have participants listen to the

tape and discuss the transition in Steps 1 and 2.

7

Transition and Continuity 61
Module 2

Review Kendra's Story

Brainstorm Strategies

Identify Recent Transition

Keep a Log

Develop a Plan of Action

1. Distribute Handout 16: Kendra's Story to participants in the coaching

session. After they read it, ask them to identify factors that made this

transition difficult. Help participants identify factors such as routine,

curriculum, transportation, and expectations. Use the Background

Information to define continuity and discontinuity for participants.

Explain that Kendra is experiencing the opposite of continuity, or

discontinuity.

2. Ask participants to read Digest: Continuity of Care and the Importance

of Relationships, located in the Informational Resources section, or

you can summarize the key points for participants. Use the ideas in

the article and the Background Information section to assist in brainstorming ways that Kendra's family, her kindergarten teacher, and her

preschool teachers could facilitate continuity for Kendra.

3. Ask participants to identify a transition that was especially difficult

for a child or family who recently came into their program. Examples

might include a child who did not easily adapt to the routine of the

program or a parent who did not understand the program's policies.

Ask:

What information did you receive about the child, family, and the

previous setting?

Did you have enough information?

Did the information you were given indicate that the previous

setting was very different from the current one?

How could information have been shared?

4. Use the Background Information section to define senders and

receivers. Ask participants to identify program representatives from

other settings who might be considered key partners to contact about

an upcoming transition. Ask participants to keep a log over the next

few weeks of specific information that they feel will help with this

transition. Such information might include a description of the child

and family, information about the program, or details about how the

transition was explained to the child.

5. Meet with participants after they have kept a log for one to two weeks.

Help them determine the information that would be important to share

with key partners and the best way to share it. Review the strategies

suggested in Handout 12: Sharing Information and help participants

develop a plan of action. Have them implement the plan.

62 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 2

Follow Up 6. Conduct a follow-up session to help participants evaluate and refine

their information-sharing strategies.

Journey Point

Activity 2-4:

Setting

Characteristics

Discuss

Suggest that participants put the handouts from this activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 2 to list new strategies for sharing information. Have them share their ideas with someone outside the

coaching session.

Purpose: In this activity, participants develop strategies for facilitating

continuity between settings with multiple differences.

Materials:

Handout 17

Hands-on Activities (Informational Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2 (Introduction)

Newsprint, markers

1. Distribute Handout 17: Settings and Continuity. Briefly discuss each

category of setting characteristics and how each setting is unique.

Point out:

Identify Setting Characteristics 2.

Role Play 3.

Summarize Characteristics 4.

Children and families can be better prepared to adapt to the new

environment during transitions if new staff are familiar with the

previous setting's characteristics.

Differences between the old and new can be minimized, while the

similarities can be maximized.

Divide participants into four groups and assign to each group one of

these four settings: home, child care, preschool, or elementary school.

Tell participants to create a realistic description that reflects both the

strengths and challenges of their assigned setting. Ask participants to

record the setting characteristics in the appropriate column on the

handout.

Reconvene the large group. Ask for a volunteer to role play a parent

and interview the preschool group to find out about the setting characteristics. While the interview is being conducted, have participants

observing the role play list the identified setting characteristics on the

handout.

Repeat the role play interview with the various settings. For the home

setting, have a volunteer play the part of a staff member seeking

information from a parent during a home visit. After each interview,

those involved in the role play can summarize the key characteristics

of each setting to make sure that observers recorded them accurately.

Transition and Continuity 63
Module 2

Small Group Discussion

Large Group Discussion

Trainer Preparation Notes:

In Step 5, it might be easiest for participants tocompare only two

settings at a time. If needed, either an example from the Background Information or one from personal experience can be used

to model the following discussion. You may choose to distribute

some of the Hands-on Activities in the Informational Resources

section to assist small groups in this activity.

5. Have participants rejoin their small group to compare their assigned

setting with others and to discuss the differences they observed. Write

the following discussion questions on newsprint and refer the groups

to them:

How can similarities between settings be maximized and

differences minimized?

How can staff prepare children and families for change?

How can parents be involved in facilitating continuity?

6. Reconvene the whole group and have each individual group share

their strategies for facilitating continuity. Ask:

What differences are easier to address and what differences are

more difficult to minimize?

How can continuity be achieved even when there are many

differences between the settings?

Review 7. Review by summarizing these points:

Sometimes simple strategies will minimize differences; sometimes

more complex strategies and more time for preparation are required to achieve continuity. For example, the environment may

need to be physically adapted to meet the special needs ofan individual child.

Interviews are one method to gather information; other ways include classroom observation, school visits, and staff pairing.

It is important to be familiar with the different settings in your

community to help parents choose the setting with the best characteristics for their child, including the least restrictive environment

for children with special needs.

64 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 2

Journey Point

Activity 2-5:

Preparing the

Child and Family

Identify Differences

Identify Setting Characteristics

Discuss Individual Role

Develop a Plan

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 2 to list new strategies for maximizing similarities and minimizing differences. Have them share their

ideas with a partner.

Purpose: In this activity, participants develop strategies to prepare children and families for differences in settings.

Materials:

Handout 17

Hands-on Activities (Informational Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 2 (Introduction)

1. In an initial coaching session, discuss the transitions of children who

have recently entered the participants' program. Remind them that

children face many changes when they transition. Ask participants to

identify the settings where these children were previously enrolled and

to think about the differences between previous settings and the participants' program. Some examples might be changes in routines, environments, and caregiving practices. Ask:

Did you know what all the differences between the settings were?

Which transitions appeared to be smoothest and which were the

most difficult?

2. Using examples from the Background Information section, discuss the

importance of identifying differences between settings when preparing

children and families for change. Distribute Handout 17: Settings and

Continuity and tell participants to complete information about their

own setting and about one of the settings identified in Step 1. Recommend that they gather information about the previous setting through

interviews and, if possible, a site visit.

3. Hold a second coaching session to discuss the differences that other

children might encounter during the transition between their setting

and the one they investigated. Ask:

What is your role in addressing differences among settings?

What more could you do?

4. Distribute copies of the Hands-on Activities, located in the Informational Resources section. Assist participants in identifying activities

that they could use in their program and help them develop a plan for

implementation.

Transition and Continuity 65

8i
Module 2

Expanding Role

Journey Point

Next Steps:

Ideas to Extend

Practice

5. After the plan has been implemented, meet with participants to discuss

the results of the activities. Point out that additional ways to maximize

similarities and minimize differences include:

Meeting with key partners to discuss concerns and brainstorm

solutions

Assisting parents in developing skills to determine the programs

that best match their child's individual needs

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 2 to list new strategies for maximizing similarities and minimizing differences. Have them share their

ideas with someone outside the coaching session.

The following activities can help participants review key information,

practice skills, and assess their understanding of the concepts in this

module.

Meet with key partners to discuss how records are transferred to and

from their programs. Explain that the purpose of the meeting is to

improve the records system so that the information transferred is useful and timely. To start the meeting, ask a representative from each

program to explain the program's system of records transfer and provide samples of the forms. The explanation should also include who

uses the records received from other programs, what other information

would be helpful to those staff members, and when they need to have

the records sent to them.

Then as a group, compare the systems that each program uses and the

kinds of information they would like to share.

Are many programs asking families to provide information that

could be provided by senders?

Are sending programs using records that are easy for receivers to

use or are records overly technical or vague?

Are there common elements in the various program forms that

might be communicated using a jointly developed transfer form?

Are issues of confidentiality being addressed?

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66 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 2

Ask participants to suggest ways to improve the records transfer

system and commit to continue working together. Some strategies that

partners might coordinate include:

Jointly developing a form that provides information in a clear

and useful format

Providing joint staff training on records management

Systematically informing parents of the advantages of releasing

records

Creating a timeline that lists dates when program records need to

be transferred

Conduct a workshop for families to help them learn the value of sharing information. At the workshop, ask former Head Start parents to

explain how their child's teacher helped the child by using information the parents provided. Then have participants find partners and

role play parent meetings with the kindergarten teacher. Suggest that

the parents tell the teacher five things that they would like the teacher

to know about themselves and their child. After the role play, summarize the kinds of information that parents can share about their child

and themselves. Discuss the formal and informal times that parents

can meet with teachers.

Provide parents with a short form letter or writing paper. Review the

kinds of information that parents can provide in a letter to the child's

new teacher. Information on the form might include the child's and

family's interests, strengths, and goals, as well as telephone numbers

and times that parents are available to volunteer. Write a sample letter

together by asking volunteers to suggest the kinds of information they

would want the teacher to know. Remind parents that notes and letters

to the teacher can be valuable ways to share new information about

the child and family throughout the year.

For more ideas on ways to help families identify personal strengths

and document their achievements and milestones, refer to the training

guide Family Growth: A Continuous Process in the series Training

Guides for the Head Start Learning Community.

83

Transition and Continuity 67
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 12: Sharing Information

Share information about children and families with key partners

Release or request confidential records (with permission).

Conduct joint transition planning meetings with senders, receivers, and parents.

Conduct interviews with families and use an intake form to gather information.

Communicate family strengths and parent contributions made to your program.

Recommend ways that new program staff can involve parents.

Relate successful strategies that bridge cultural differences and meet special needs.

Conduct post-transfer meetings to assess each child's adaptation to the new

setting.

Share information about settings with children and families

Provide times for children and families to visit the new setting.

Visit children and families while they are still in their old setting.

Provide orientation materials describing program policies and expectations.

Match parents who are new to the setting with parents already in the setting.

Match children who are new to the setting with children already in the setting.

Use both written and oral methods to tell families about the daily curriculum.

Conduct home visits.

Share information about settings with key partners

Meet with key partners individually.

Develop written materials to promote your program.

Invite partners to visit your setting and join in training sessions.

Increase media coverage of your program.

Network within the community.

Conduct in-person or telephone interviews.

Ask partners to work in advisory positions for your program.

Add partners to your mailing list and exchange newsletters, program notices, etc.

Attend conferences and meetings conducted by other early childhood

professionals.

Transition and Continuity

8

69
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 13: Scenarios

Katie: Group 1 is the sender (family); Group 2 is the receiver (public school)

Katie lives with her mother, an aunt, and two cousins in a rural area. Katie is five years old and will

attend a public school kindergarten in two weeks. Katie's mother works, and the aunt takes care of the

three children during the day. As part of the public school orientation, Katie had a health screening.

The results indicate that Katie needs glasses. Katie's mother does not know how she can afford

glasses because even though she works, the family is barely getting by. In fact, the phone has recently

been cut off. Katie's mother and aunt are reluctant to ask for help because they have always been able

to manage by themselves. Katie and her cousins attend a mother's day out program sponsored by their

church. Katie loves the activities and is excited about going to school. The program has given Katie a

portfolio of her work.

Celia: Group 3 is the sender (Karen); Group 4 is the receiver (Head Start staff)

Celia (three years old) and her sister (four years old) have been attending Karen's family day care

home ever since they were infants. However, Karen is closing her day care at the end of the summer.

Celia and her sister have always played together at day care. Recently the parents separated. Since

then, Karen has noticed that Celia gets very upset when her sister plays with other children. The girls

will attend Head Start and will be in different classrooms. Karen is concerned that Celia will be very

unhappy when she is away from her sister. When Karen tries to talk to Celia's mother about these

concerns, the mother talks about her own problems.

James: Group 5 is the sender (Head Start); Group 6 is the receiver (public school

preschool special education department)

During Head Start hearing and speech evaluations, James was diagnosed with a speech delay. The

public school was notified of the test results. The preschool special education department has

informed James' mother that the test results are not valid and James will have to be tested by the

school specialist. James' mother called the school specialist and scheduled an appointment in three

months, which was the next available testing date. She is busy taking care of five other young children

and thinks that James just wants attention because he has so many brothers and sisters. The Head Start

teacher feels that James should receive services right away. She finds that because his classmates cannot understand him, James grabs and pushes instead of talking to them.

Hakim: Group 7 is the sender (Early Head Start); Group 8 is the receiver

(Head Start)

Hakim was very reluctant to leave his mother when he began attending Early Head Start at eighteen

months. However, his mother was very involved in helping Hakim resolve his difficulties. She informed the staff of his likes and dislikes, came to the center with him until he formed an attachment to

the primary caregiver, and conveyed a positive attitude about the center to Hakim. He has adapted to

the program, but is still easily upset by any disruption of the routine. Now that Hakim is three years

old and transitioning to a preschool Head Start program, the staff wants to make sure he is prepared

for the new routine. The preschool program is currently undergoing changes in its program due to

staff turnover and expansion of the program.

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70 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 14: Senders and Receivers

Discuss questions 1-3 about your scenario. As you answer the questions, consider the following:

The child's and family's unique strengths and needs

Support systems that are in place or that could be available to this family

Both senders and receivers have information to share

1. What information needs to be shared?

2. Who has the information?

3. In your role as sender or receiver, what other information would you want to have about this case?

Wait for the trainer to regroup before completing the last question.

4. Brainstorm vehicles for sharing essential information with all those involved in planning this transition.

Refer to Handout 12: Sharing Information to identify additional vehicles for sharing information.

86

Transition and Continuity 71
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 15: Transition Issues

Issue 1: Continuing Parent Involvement

Nancy's mother enjoys volunteering in Head Start several times each week. She enjoys the children and has begun taking classes in child development. Soon Nancy will be going to an elementary school. Nancy's mother has heard that the elementary school does not welcome volunteers in

the classroom. In fact, the elementary school has many classroom volunteers who were recruited

through the PTA. After an orientation these volunteers can work directly with the children.

Issue 2: Continuing Developmentally Appropriate Practices

Ms. Miller has had the same group of children as infants and toddlers for two years. The children

are preparing to move into a three-year-old class at the same center and will have a new teacher.

Ms. Miller feels that the children are very attached to her and she is worried that in the preschool

class they will not receive the same love and nurturing. When she visited the preschool class in

the spring, the children were working very independently while the teacher spent her time meeting with Ms. Miller. The preschool teacher knows that three-year-olds need a lot of reassurance

and time to become acquainted with the routines. She wants the classroom to be a welcoming

place for both children and families.

Issue 3: Assisting with the Transfer of Records

Tamika has been receiving home-based Head Start services at her father's home in another state.

She has recently moved in with her mother. Her records have not been transferred and her mother

is having trouble enrolling her in day care. Her mother does not know which immunizations

Tamika has had or what kind of curriculum was used in her previous program.

Issue 4: Supporting Non-English Speaking Families

Raul is attending Head Start for the first time. His parents know very little English and speak

Spanish. The staff at the Head Start center speak only English. Raul has several brothers and

sisters who attend English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at the elementary school. Raul

was referred by the ESL teacher, who visited the family in the summer. She said the parents are

very anxious that Raul play with children his age, but they are worried because he is shy.

Issue 5: Initiating New Services

Sam's grandmother cares for him after kindergarten. The school counselor has recommended that

he attend an art therapy class for children with emotional problems. The art therapy class has

successfully helped children with similar problems to express their feelings and gain emotional

control. The grandmother thinks that the best thing for Sam is more discipline in the home. She

does not want to be responsible for taking him to art therapy after school. The art therapist has

been told that Sam's mother is on drugs and his father is absent from the home.

Transition and Continuity

8

73
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 15: Transition Issues (Continued)

Issue 6: Continuing Special Services

Kevin has a disability and has been receiving early intervention services through the community

health clinic. The early intervention worker has recommended that his parents enroll him in the

early Head Start program so that his need for ongoing stimulation can be better met. The Head

Start program has never had a child with his particular disability and is concerned about medical

complications. The health clinic sent Kevin's records to the Head Start center, and the staff found

them very confusing.

Issue 7: Serving Mobile Families

Joy has been attending a migrant Head Start program and expects to move with her family at the

end of the summer. It is unclear where the family will move, but the Head Start staff want to

make sure that the new setting will receive all of Joy's records. Also, the family is anxious to

work with Joy at home.

Issue 8: Continuing Peer Relationships

Tracy spends the morning in a Title 1 program. She used to take the bus home and had a special

bus buddy. She has just been enrolled in after-school care in the same building as the Title 1 program. She cries every day when it is time to leave her morning class and clings to her bus buddy.

Her parents report that Tracy does not know any of the children in the after-school program.

Issue 9: Developing Cultural Understanding

Running Water has attended a tribal Head Start program. He is going to the public school, which

is trying to adapt its curriculum so it is more sensitive to the multicultural population that it

serves. The Head Start teacher does not understand why the public school kindergarten teacher

wants to visit the center. When the Head Start teacher's children were in school, some Native

American children were teased about their names and the school Thanksgiving play stereotyped

Native Americans.

Issue 10: Matching Expectations to Past Experience

Lim's parents have been working with him at home since preschool when they were involved in

the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY). In kindergarten, the teacher

sent home joint parent-child assignments. Lim's parents want to continue to be involved in home

instruction in first grade, but the teacher explained that the children will be assigned homework to

do alone. The teacher knows that parents in her school are very motivated and provide enrichment through home activities. Her focus is helping children work independently.

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74 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 16: Kendra's Story

After two years in a private preschool, Kendra moved into a public school kindergarten

this year. She is having trouble adjusting.

Before preschool started, one of the teachers had visited every child at home to learn

about the family. Kendra's grandmother walked her to preschool every day and volunteered at school twice a week. During school, the children moved between learning centers, had circle time and small group time, played outside, and had a short rest every day.

Lunch was served in the classroom by the teachers, who helped Kendra cut her food.

Kendra's favorite activity was art, but after she injured her hand last year, she has had a

little trouble using scissors. She usually tears her paper or needs help with cutting.

At the end of the preschool year, the teachers told the children they would be going to

kindergarten. The teachers read a book about kindergarten, which made kindergarten

sound a lot like preschool. Kendra's grandmother enrolled her in the public school kindergarten and the preschool sent Kendra's records. Kendra spent the summer at home

with her grandmother and aunt. She did not have much of a schedule.

When Kendra started kindergarten, it was not like the book at all. She had to take a bus

every day and the older children on the bus frightened her. Kendra's grandmother could

not ride on the bus; it was too far for her to walk, so she could not volunteer. The kindergarten children spent most of the day sitting at tables doing worksheets, and Kendra had

some trouble holding her pencil and writing. She felt frustrated in kindergarten and had

trouble sitting still. She cried sometimes and put her head down on the table, usually late

in the morning before lunch. The children ate in a cafeteria and Kendra's lunch came

sealed in a package that she had trouble openingoften there was not time to finish

lunch.

Kendra's kindergarten teacher does not want to be influenced by another teacher's opinions of her, so she has not read the preschool records. The teacher wants Kendra tested to

see if this is the right environment for her. The teacher does not think Kendra is ready

for kindergarten and finds her behavior disruptive. She also wonders if something in

Kendra's home might be causing these problems.

Transition and Continuity 8E 75
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 17: Settings and Continuity

Setting

Characteristics Home Child Care

Environment/

Room Setup

Health/Social

Services

Kinds of

Activities

Parent and

Caregiver

Roles

Peer

Relationships

Transition and Continuity

90

77
Module 2: Transition and Continuity

Handout 17: Settings and Continuity (Continued)

Setting

C haracteristics

Environment/

Room Setup

Preschool Elementary School

Health/Social

Services

Kinds of

Activities

Parent and

Caregiver

Roles

Peer

Relationships

78 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 3

Partnerships for Continuity

Outcomes As a result of completing this module, participants will be able to:

Key Concepts

Background Information

Identify the common goals that early childhood professionals and

parents share in supporting transitions from one setting to another

Determine goals and strategies to develop effective transition practices

and facilitate continuity

Identify the strengths and resources that partners can contribute to

achieve common goals

Develop strategies for networking with key partners

The early childhood community includes parents, educators,

caregivers, and service providers from various settings.

Recognizing the common ground of everyone who works in the early

childhood community is key to building partnerships across settings.

Continuity between settings is best established through active, meaningful partnerships and information sharing.

Working collaboratively requires an appreciation of the skills and

resources that each partner can contribute toward common goals.

Networking within the early childhood community allows those working in the field to share best practices and to develop partnerships in

transition.

Efforts to provide continuity throughout the early childhood community

require the time and commitment of early childhood professionals, parents, and the broader community. To build this commitment, sending and

receiving staff can work together as partners along with parents to develop

transition plans. By developing collaborative relationships and establishing common goals in transition, partners ease transitions and improve the

quality of education, care, and services for families and children.

Partnerships between programs can also provide a foundation for continuity.

Across the country, programs have developed strategies so they can work

with other programs or groups to establish continuity. Structural or administrative supports, such as joint funding and interagency agreements, provide

incentives and tools for partners and communities. These collaborative

Partnerships for Continuity 79
Module 3

Journey Point

community teams define transition goals and share responsibility for

achieving common goals.

When programs begin to build partnerships and collaborative teams, they

may encounter differences in philosophy, funding, and program priorities.

These issues can often be worked out by improving communication.

Model programs and local initiatives have adopted promising practices,

or strategies that help improve communication between partners. For example, many programs network within community organizations, invite

key partners to a breakfast or a program's special event, and sponsor small

gatherings of community members. These promising practices create a

welcoming environment for key partners to begin to better understand

each other. Examples of successful ways that programs welcome parents

as partners include:

Summer PicnicHead Start Transition Demonstration Project,

Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Head Start sponsors a summer activity

for children transitioning out of Head Start. The children and families

attend a picnic on the public school grounds in the summer. The principal is invited to attend to provide informal information. To accommodate working parents, the picnic is scheduled in the late afternoon.

The Mamas and Papas of Byck ElementaryByck Cradle School,

Louisville, Kentucky. Parents and staff formed an after-school choral

group. The group has since performed at statewide educational functions as well as school-based activities.

Once Head Start and community partners have become acquainted and

established some common ground at an introductory event, a collaborative

team can organize to more formally address issues in transition and continuity. The team can choose to adapt additional promising practices such as

placing transition coordinators in elementary schools, coordinating curricula between Head Start and public schools, pairing parent mentors with

new parents, and establishing parent resource centers in the schools.

Throughout this document, participants are asked to think of the training

as a journey toward effective transition practices. At the end of each workshop and coaching activity, there is a place to stop on this journey, or

Journey Point, so that participants can organize their materials and

thoughts. In this module, at each Journey Point the trainer refers participants to their Journey Bag and Pocket Guide 3. These tools, and a summary of the journey, are provided in the Introductory Activity: Beginning

the Journey, on page 9.

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80 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 3

Activity 3-1:

Common Ground

Trainer Preparation Notes:

This module provides participants from education, care, and service environments with an opportunity to identify themselves as

members of the early childhood community. The audience should

include parents and representatives from various early childhood

settings such as child care centers, private preschools, public

schools, and health and social service agencies. Invite these representatives to attend the training if they are not already participants.

Purpose: In this activity, participants focus on the common goals of

members of the early childhood community and lay the groundwork to

support and work collaboratively with those from other settings.

Materials:

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3 (Introduction)

Newsprint, markers

Identify Roles 1.

Discuss Roles 2.

Identify Overlap of Tasks 3.

On newsprint, draw a large circle. Ask participants to name their job

titles or roles (for example, teacher, parent, volunteer). Write these

titles and roles in the circle as shown in the Sample Early Childhood

Community Pie on page 82. Then have participants list roles of others

in their community who work with young children and their families.

Add these roles to the circle.

Draw another circle outside the first circle. Place the words Teaching,

Nurturing, and Supporting on the outer circle as shown in the Sample

Early Childhood Community Pie. Ask participants to give examples

of their daily activities that teach, nurture, and support children and

families. Discuss how those individuals not in the training also teach,

nurture, and support families and children.

Discuss how the many roles within the community share tasks. Use

the following examples or those presented by the group to highlight

the overlap:

Parents, teachers, and child care workers all teach children when

they read to them.

Bus drivers, mental health counselors, and family members all

nurture children when they listen carefully to children and

patiently answer questions.

Home visitors, parent volunteers, and teachers all support families

when they refer families to community resources.

Partnerships for Continuity 81

94
Module 3

Discuss Benefits

Sample Early Childhood Community Pie

N

Teacher

N

N

Therapist

Early

\ Intervention / \ Specialist /

Parent

N \ / N " / Child Care

N

N

N \ / re Provider /

,

..."

Secretary / Bus Driver

.re r,

Home

Visitor

/1

/ \

//

\

Mental

Health N

N.

Food

Worker

/ Counselor \

1 N.

N

N.

z

4. Ask parents and staff to begin thinking of themselves as early childhood professionals who are members of a community that collectively

teaches, nurtures, and supports children and families. All members of

the community share a common goal of promoting the positive development of both children and families. Label the circle The Early

Childhood Community Pie. Explain the benefits of the early childhood

community working together.

Like the ingredients in a pie, each member of the community contributes to the flavor and quality of the whole pie. Each role is

enhanced when members work together to provide services for

children and families.

Members who recognize the common goals of those fulfilling

different roles can offer each other resources, ideas, skills,

and support.

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82 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 3

Small Group Discussions

Large Focus Group

Journey Point

Activity 3-2:

Find a Partner

Discussion

Research

Together, members of the community can advocate for policies

and funding that support children and families.

New initiatives to serve children and families can be developed

collaboratively.

Through information sharing, partnerships can be developed to

ease transitions and facilitate continuity between settings.

5. Have participants form small groups. Be sure that each group includes

a variety of early childhood professionals. Ask each group member to

discuss her problems and concerns about transition and continuity.

Provide the groups with newsprint to record the problems and concerns that members have in common.

6. Ask each small group to share its list of common problems and concerns. Then ask the large group to work with you to identify some

steps that the community could take to address these issues.

Refer participants to the back of Pocket Guide 3 in their Journey Bag.

Have them list their personal goals for nurturing, teaching, and supporting

children and families in the Notes column. Point out that the Discoveries

column can be used to list insights about their role or about the early childhood community. Then ask participants to discuss their ideas with a partner.

Purpose: In this activity, participants develop strategies for networking

with key partners in transition.

Materials:

Program Profiles (Informational Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3 (Introduction)

1. During the first coaching session, discuss your early childhood community. Explain that there are many organizations working with the

same children and families and that the more these groups can recognize their common goals, the more they can accomplish. Ask participants if they know of any groups that meet for joint training, provide

collaborative services, or are involved in transition initiatives in their

community.

2. Ask participants to spend some time on their own researching other

groups in their community that provide education, care, or services to

families and children. Make the following suggestions:

Partnerships for Continuity 83

96
Module 3

Discuss Partnerships

Network

Foster Partnership

Journey Point

Read the newspaper for organizational announcements and for

information.

Check public places such as libraries or stores for flyers that announce meetings of these groups.

Meet with Family Service staff members or talk with friends and

co-workers.

Ask co-workers and parents about their memberships in community organizations.

List the groups that now meet for joint training, to provide collaborative services, or to discuss common goals.

3. Hold another coaching session to discuss community partnerships.

Explain that staff from individual programs can plan initiatives, such

as a parent information night or summer home visits, that help smooth

transitions. However, more far-reaching transition practices, such as

coordinating curricula or transition planning meetings, require community partnerships.

4. Help participants choose one of the groups researched in Step 2 with

which to begin building partnerships. Ask participants to attend one

meeting of the group to get to know potential partners or invite a

member to visit one of their program's social events. Refer to

Program Profiles, located in the Informational Resources section, to

learn more about establishing partnerships with parents and other

professionals.

5. Meet again to discuss the results of this networking with partners.

Discuss the value of making ongoing efforts to network with partners,

including parents. Have participants develop a plan to foster the partnership through continued networking and information sharing.

Suggest that participants put their handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to Pocket Guide 3 to list new strategies for networking. Have them share their ideas with someone outside the coaching

session.

97

84 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 3

Activity 3-3:

Collaborative

Potluck

Prepare a Dish

Share Personal Strengths

Discuss Collaboration

Purpose: In this activity, participants identify the skills and resources that

individuals throughout the early childhood community can offer when

collaborating.

Materials:

Handouts 18, 19, and 20

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3 (Introduction)

Paper plates, art materials

1. Deliver Handout 18: Invitation to a Collaborative Potluck Dinner.

Invite participants to bring a dish representing a skill or resource that

they can bring to the table when people assemble to work toward

common goals. Pass out paper plates and art supplies. You can provide the following examples to explain how participants can use the

art materials to prepare their dishes.

Draw a happy face in the middle of the plate to represent an ability to work with others.

Stretch rubber bands across the plate to indicate flexibility.

Write an e-mail address on the edge of the plate to represent access to Internet sites.

2. Have participants bring their dishes to a central table. Give participants a few minutes to look over the potluck. Compliment the chefs

and ask them to share their recipes. Reinforce the idea that everyone

has something to contribute to a collaborative effort; like most potluck

dinners, the meal is complete when everyone brings his or her best

dish to the table. Ask:

How do participants feel about the potluck? What does it tell them

about the community's overall strengths and resources?

Is there a favorite dish?

Communication should be a main dish; are there other dishes that

seem essential to a successful collaborative meeting?

3. Discuss with the group the possibility of inviting community members

to a real collaborative potluck dinner or luncheon as a conclusion of

the training. Distribute Handout 19: Recipe for Collaborative Cake.

Explain that the handout summarizes the process of working collaboratively and the importance of knowing about your community's resources. Distribute Handout 20: Collaborating for Quality and tell

Partnerships for Continuity 85
Module 3

Journey Point

Activity 3-4:

Adapting

Promising

Practices

Describe Initiatives

participants to check off those items that they already do in their

community. Ask:

What do you already do to collaborate in your community?

What transition goals might better be achieved through

collaboration?

What strategies could help you expand collaborative efforts?

Suggest that participants put the handouts from the activity in their

Journey Bag. Refer them to the back of Pocket Guide 3 to list their discoveries about community resources. Suggest that they share this list with

staff not present in the workshop.

Purpose: In this activity, participants develop strategies to use community resources in new ways to meet transition needs.

Materials:

Program Profiles (Informational Resources)

Journey Bag, Pocket Guide 3 (Introduction)

Coach Preparation Notes:

Identifying and contacting key partners is only the first step to

effective collaboration. During this coaching activity, participants

discuss their experiences with representatives from successful

programs.

1. Hold a coaching session to discuss the promising practices found in

Program Profiles, located in the Informational Resources section.

Explain that all these programs have achieved continuity for children

in transition by collaborating to provide comprehensive services.

Point out the variety of program demographics and services represented and review the following program features:

Some programs are funded by local initiatives, while others are

funded by federal initiatives.

Communities have concentrated efforts on specific age groups.

A variety of community partners are involved in providing

services.

9E

86 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 3

Discuss Community Goals

Specific services and achievements are tailored to each

community's needs.

2. Have participants read the Program Profiles, which contain a sampling of promising practices from programs across the country. Ask

participants to select a program that addresses a particular category of

service (family services, education services, or health services) that

they would like to improve in their community. Discuss why this category of service is important in their community and identify the services currently available. Ask:

Plan Partner Meeting 3.

First Steps 4.

Follow-up Meeting 5.

Journey Point

What specific practices do you want to implement?

What resources might be required to provide this service?

What community partners could contribute their resources and

skills to collaboratively provide the service?

Help participants plan a meeting with a community partner with

whom they could adapt and collaboratively implement one of the

promising practices described in the Program Profiles. Ask participants to find out the suggestions and concerns that their community

partners have about implementing this practice.

Have participants follow through with the partner meeting. Ask participants to record their partner's suggestions and concerns that are

discussed during the meeting.

Schedule a follow-up meeting to share the results of the partner meeting. Discuss any new ideas that emerged during the meeting and help

participants determine some key questions. Have them call the program contact from the Program Profiles to discuss these questions.

Suggest that participants keep all of the Program Profiles in their Journey

Bag so that they can become familiar with and possibly adapt the promising practices, as well as know who to contact for further information. Refer participants to Pocket Guide 3 to list new strategies for collaborating.

Have them share the information in a follow-up partner meeting.

I

Partnerships for Continuity 87
Module 3

Activity 3-5:

What's in Your

Journey Bag?

Discuss the Journey

Review Materials

Meet with Staff

Purpose: In this activity, participants will reflect on the information and

resources that they collected during the training activities to establish ideas

for facilitating continuity in their communities and sharing valuable information with their co-workers.

Materials:

Journey Bag contents and completed Pocket Guides (Introduction)

Coach Preparation Notes:

This activity can be used at the end of any module to review the

concepts found in that module.

1. Meet with participants to review the information and resources collected in their Journey Bag and the strategies recorded on their Pocket

Guides. Explain that they will continue on their journey toward effective transition practices as they continue to use the information and

ideas.

2. Have participants review all materials in their Journey Bag and information recorded on their Pocket Guides. Discuss what they discovered

during their journey and what destinations they want to reach now that

they have made these discoveries. Point out that they can list personal

goals on the back of the Pocket Guide. Ask them to consider the ways

that they might use their information to achieve their goals. Some

suggestions include:

Sharing information, strategies, and materials with other program

staff, parents, and key community partners

Using the Pocket Guides to list new ideas and review their

progress

3. Suggest that participants share their strategies and personal goals with

co-workers in a team meeting. They can provide some copies of handouts to everyone in the meeting. In addition, they can help each staff

member identify his role in helping the program implement effective

practices.

88 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Module 3

Next Steps:

Ideas to Extend

Practice

The following activities can help participants review key information,

practice skills, and assess their understanding of the concepts in this

module:

Plan a variety of monthly strategies for networking with community

partners. These might include formal meetings that focus on transition

issues or other early childhood issues. You can also plan a variety of

informal events such as breakfasts, community celebrations, or baglunch information sessions. As contacts are made, keep up-to-date on

the efforts partners are making. Find out what you can do to help

them.

Invite leaders from the early childhood community to an informational

or discussion program on providing continuity. Select some of the

eight elements of continuity as described in the book Continuity in

Early Childhood: A Framework for Home, School, and Community

Linkages to review with the group. Discuss your community practices

that relate to those elements and use the framework as an evaluation of

those practices. See Resources, located in the Informational

Resources section, for information on ordering this book.

Test out strategies for school improvement with others from the early

childhood community by using the simulation game Making Change

for School Improvement. Head Start grantees may obtain this resource

through their regional office, the Head Start Training and Technical

Assistance Network, or Head Start program directors. Schools may

find that their district has invested in the game. Refer to Resources, in

the Informational Resources section, for ordering information.

Give participants several months to try out their strategies for networking and collaborating. Schedule a follow-up meeting with individuals or small groups. At the follow-up meeting, have participants

share what they have tried and any difficulties they may be having.

Discuss additional strategies that they can try and involve them in role

playing to help improve their communication skills. Provide them

with materials from the Informational Resources section to support

the development of new transition practices.

102

Partnerships for Continuity 89
Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity

Handout 18: Invitation to a Collaborative Potluck Dinner

nvitation to a

Collaborative Potluck Dinner

CELEBRATE membership in the

Early Childhood Community

Bring a "dish" that represents your unique skills.

Share recipes and stories with community members.

All Parents, Educators, Caregivers, and

Service Providers are WELCOME.

Partnerships for Continuity 91
Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity

Handout 19: Recipe for Collaborative Cake

Recipe adapted from: Kentucky Head Start Collaboration Project

Collaborative Cooking Serves ALL

Needed Ingredients:

Planning Time

Participants Coordination

Agreement/Consensus Commitment

Step 1Planning

Acquaint yourself with agencies, businesses, community programs, school services, policies, and limitations. At this

point you are working on your guest list. Represent your program well and offer to assist with existing programs.

Select appropriate organizations that have or are willing to develop similar interests and goals. Early identification of

the resources available and the gaps must be a top priority.

Step 2Participants

This mixture must be blended gently, no beating necessary. Dissolve any preconceived ideas about agencies and

individuals. Each must be given enough time to blend together, to slowly enhance the flavor of the group with programs, ideas, and individualism. Remember, all dishes are more appetizing when garnished well. Garnish participants

with well-deserved recognition and praise. Respect each participant's limitations; as you know, you can't make a silk

purse from a sow's ear.

Step 3Agreement/Consensus

Substitute "can't be done" with consensus building and agreement. Even with clearly defined goals, there will be

disagreement throughout the process due to human nature. One must try to "sweeten the pot" by agreeing that disagreements are not anyone's fault. This is a time when hearty helpings of consideration and wearing the shoe on the

other foot are necessary. This is a group decision, not an individual one. People need to refrain from roasting another

individual, stewing because they did not get their way, becoming boiling mad when not controlling emotions, or getting in a pickle by taking things in a personal nature in any way.

Step 4Time

Simply puttoo little time and the project will never get done; too much time and the project will dry out and be

tossed in the garbage. Set times that are convenient for the participants. Respect commitments and job responsibilities

of all involved. Allow for each organization and agency to have time to share. Everyone likes a piece of the pie. Keep

meetings focusedbegin and end on time. This is a long-term mission, not a one-time, one-hour meeting.

Step 5Coordination

Participants can add their contribution of services to the cake. It is important to remember that everyone can add

something. Develop attitudes where everyone wants to add equal amounts without pressure. If one or two try to supply all the items, the cake may be bland. Flavor the recipe with everyone's help and ideas. Should there be several

different cakes mixing, find a big oven to combine and feed the multitudes, not one or two.

Step 6Commitment

This is the icing on the cake. Make it thick and rich. Allow everyone to share in preserving and helping children and

youth. A volunteer to maintain the order of the clothing closet can be as beneficial and rewarding as the corporate

gift.

Adapted from Collaborative Cooking Serves All by Ann Stewart, Preschool/Head Start Director, and Janet Compton, Family

Resource/Youth Services Center, Bourbon Schools, funded by the Kentucky Head Start Collaboration Project, 1993.

92 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

1 ©4
Module 3: Partnerships for Continuity

Handout 20: Collaborating for Quality

Joint transition planning for programs

Develop written program plans clarifying responsibilities of all partners.

Identify common transition goals and steps to collaborate to accomplish goals.

Incorporate timelines for short-term and long-term goals.

Identify resources that can be accessed.

Collaborate in implementing jointly developed activities, policies, and initiatives.

Evaluate the impact of the transition plan on meeting the needs of the community.

Support transition planning and implementation by forming interagency

agreements.

Joint transition planning for individual children

Share information in formal meetings with all partners, including parents.

Identify competencies and supports available to the child/family in transition.

Identify services and supports that can be accessed during transition.

Modify existing strategies to accommodate any special needs of the child/family.

Collaborate to develop specific strategies for transitioning each individual child.

Administrative support of collaboration

Form interagency agreements.

Provide time for staff to participate in collaborative efforts.

Designate one person to take responsibility for transition planning.

Involve administrators and policy makers in the collaboration.

Joint efforts to improve quality of education, care, and services for young children

Pool funding and resources to improve programs and implement new initiatives.

Involve the entire community in campaigns to improve quality.

Advocate public policies and funding to serve children and families.

Develop joint training activities that focus on best practices.

Evaluate community resources and coordinate services to avoid duplication of

efforts.

Partnerships for Continuity

105

93
Continuing Professional Development

Continuing Education

Educational Associations

Participants can expand their skills and knowledge by completing

coursework, joining local and national organizations, networking with

other early childhood professionals, and reading current literature.

Many universities and community colleges offer child development courses

through their education, child development, or psychology departments.

Courses in business and communication can enhance the communication

and networking skills necessary for the success of collaborative efforts. To

find out about courses in your area, call local colleges for catalogs and

admission information.

For an extensive list of educational conferences sponsored by national and

local organizations, call or write:

ACCESS ERIC

1600 Research Boulevard, MS-5F

Rockville, MD 20850

1-800LETERIC

The cost for a printed copy is $20. A free online listing appears on the

Internet at: http://www.aspensys.com/eric2/welcome.html

Educational organizations are often associated with a particular profession. Participants and programs that choose to join several national or

local educational organizations will broaden their understanding of the

various goals within the early childhood community. Several national

organizations follow:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

1250 N. Pitt Street

Alexandria, VA 22314-1453

1-703-549-9110

Publication: Educational Leadership

Membership: Leaders in elementary, middle, and secondary schools; and

anyone interested in curriculum, instruction, supervision, and leadership in

schools

Council for Exceptional Children

1920 Association Drive

Reston, VA 20191-1589

1-703-620-3660

Publications: Exceptional Children, Teaching Exceptional Children

Membership: Teachers, administrators, parents, and students

Continuing Professional Development 95

103
Continuing Professional Development

Internet Resources

Promising Practices

National Association for the Education of Young Children

1509 16th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036-1426

1-202-232-8777,1-800-424-2460

Publication: Young Children

Membership: Teachers, parents, child care providers, and others interested

in improving the quality of services for children birth through age eight

National PTA

330 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite 2100

Chicago, IL 60611-3690

1-312-670-6782

Publications: PTA Today, What's Happening in Washington

Membership: Parents, teachers, students, and citizens active in their

schools and communities

The Internet provides extensive resources for educators, child care providers, service providers, parents, and students. The resources available include online publications developed by national organizations, database

searches for parents and professionals, information about curricula and

resource materials that can be ordered, online government documents,

online journals and popular magazines, discussion groups, and interactive

bulletin boards.

Participants interested in learning more about accessing and using the

Internet can be referred to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. The clearinghouse resources include

two ERIC Digests, Internet Starting Points for Early Childhood Educators

and The Internet and Early Childhood Educators: Some Frequently Asked

Questions. The clearinghouse also has an in-depth guide to educational

resources on the Internet called A to Z: The Early Childhood Educator's

Guide to the Internet. For more information:

Call: 1-800-583-4135

E-mail: ericeece@uxl.cso.uiuc.edu

One of the best ways for participants to expand their understanding of

effective transition practices is to visit a community program site where

these practices are being implemented. By contacting staff with first-hand

experience in implementing promising practices and by becoming familiar

with the many possibilities for collaboration, participants can identify

strategies that best fit their own program needs.

10.7

96 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Continuing Professional Development

Materials developed by the Offices of Educational Research and Improvement Regional Laboratories (OERI Labs) provide participants with up-todate information to assist in the development of local initiatives. To find

out about OERI Labs, Head Start Transition Demonstration Projects, or

Head StartState Collaboration Projects in your area, contact your Regional Head Start Office or the State Department of Education. Refer to

Program Profiles in the Informational Resources section for additional

contacts and resources.

10C

Continuing Professional Development 97
Informational

Resources
Informational Resources: Contents

Overview 103

Digests 105

A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities 105

Transition to Kindergarten 107

Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity

in Early Childhood Services 109

Continuity of Care and the Importance of Relationships 111

Program Profiles 113

Overview 113

Wisconsin Head Start Transition Project 115

Project Educational Impact (PEI) 117

Cradle School 119

Project TRANSFER 121

Southwest Communication Resources

Infant and Early Childhood Program 123

Hands-on Activities 125

Sample Transition Activities: Infants and Toddlers 125

Sample Transition Activities: Preschoolers/Kindergartners 127

Sample Transition Activities: Primary School Children 129

Reading Stories about Transition 131

Books to Prepare Children for Transition 132

Preparing a Newsletter 133

Inviting Parents into the Classroom 135

Sharing Information with Parents 137

Questions Parents Have about Kindergarten 138

Resources 139

Informational Resources: Contents 101

no
Informational Resources: Overview

The Informational Resources section of the training guide Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

is designed to be used with the workshop and coaching activities in the Skill-Based Training section. This section can

also be used outside the training sessions as quick reference materials for those seeking transition-related information

and examples of promising program practices.

Digests, Program Profiles, Hands-on Activities, and Resources are included in this section. The variety of materials

can help prepare trainers and assist all staff in implementing effective transition practices for young children and

families in their programs. A description of each of the four categories along with suggestions for using the materials

follows.

Digests

Each digest summarizes fundamental information on

the topics of transition, change, continuity, and support. The brief articles reflect current research and

express a consensus of expert views on transition

issues. Consider using these articles in the following

ways:

Read in preparation for training sessions

Summarize and share information with training

participants as directed in the Introductory Activity, and Activities 1-4, 1-5, 2-1, and 2-3

Reproduce and disseminate to interested participants in additional training sessions

Reprint in community and school newsletters

Share with parents during parent meetings

Share with administrators and other school and

community officials to establish a baseline for

discussing transition issues

Program Profiles

This section provides an overview of promising practices that were developed and implemented by model

programs, local communities, and nonprofit organizations. Profiles of transition programs from both within

and outside of Head Start are included. These examples

reflect the diverse nature of programs throughout the

country. Consider using these resources in the following ways:

Disseminate in Activities 3-2 and 3-4

Disseminate as supplemental material in additional

training sessions

Share with administrators and community leaders

as examples of programs with continuity

Adapt ideas for use in your own community

Contact programs and learn more about their first

steps

Share with program staff so they understand the

many facets of program continuity

Informational Resources: Overview

111

103
Informational Resources: Overview

Hands-on Activities

This section offers examples of concrete transition

activities for individuals to try in their own programs or

homes. The materials provide guidance to those who

would like to initiate new practices. All staff and

parents can become involved in providing support to

children and families. The Hands-on Activities assist

them in identifying effective strategies for children at

different developmental levels. In addition, there are

procedures for developing parent and child programs.

Consider these suggestions for use:

Distribute to training participants and use as

directed in Activities 1-5, 2-4, and 2-5

Disseminate as supplemental material in other training sessions

Disseminate to program staff who are developing

new transition activities

Publish in school and community newsletters

Share ideas with key partners in transition, including parents

Resources

This list of additional resource materials includes books,

journal articles, videotapes, and other documents.

Information for obtaining these resources is also included. Suggestions for use include:

Obtain and read materials that provide more information about change, transition, and continuity

Share list with participants in training sessions

to further their professional development in

transition

Use materials listed as additional resources during

training and program development

1C

104 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Digests

A Child's Emerging Coping Abilities

What Is Coping?

Coping is the process of adapting to meet personal

needs and to respond to the changing demands of the

environment. Each child's needs vary according to his

developmental skills, age, and presence of a disability

or other special need. The goal of coping is to increase

feelings of well-being in threatening or challenging

situations. Children cope with situations in order to feel

good about themselves and their place in the world.

Coping and Learning

The more effectively a child copes, the more effectively she learns. Adaptive competence is determined

by the match between demands placed on the child and

the resources he has to manage those needs. Successful

coping reflects sufficient internal and external resources for handling the demands of daily life and

adult expectations of the child.

External Supports

Human and environmental supports need to be available

to the child before she can develop coping capacity.

The family provides the foundation for each child to

build her own internal resources. Loving, responsive,

consistent care, along with encouraging feedback, helps

the child develop trust, security in the predictability of

events, and an expectation of success. Other external

resources include food, financial provision, shelter,

clothing, and a stimulating environment that promotes

curiosity and development.

Internal Supports

The developmental skills and individual strengths that

a child possesses can be important internal supports. As

the child's abilities and experiences increase, he gradually develops a sense of self. Coping is related to the

child's perceived ability to have an effect on others and

a sense of trust that adults will respond to the child's

needs. These beliefs are related to the quality of attachment between a child and a caregiver. These skills and

beliefs contribute to the child's adaptive competence.

Support Levels

Children at every level of development have to cope

with stress. They cope with changes related to physical

growth, the complexities of family life, and new experiences. In addition to normal stresses, many children

must cope with multistressed environments. Knowledge about the demands an individual child must cope

with is essential in setting appropriate expectations

during a period of transition. The amount of support

needed will depend on the developmental needs and

capacity of the child to cope with change and specifically, with the demands of the new situation. Viewing

the child's ability to cope as a capacity that develops

over time and with adult support can ease transitions.

Adapted with permission from Williamson, G.G.,

"Assessment of Adaptive Competence" in ZERO TO THREE,

Vol. 14, No. 6. ZERO TO THREE: National Center for

Infants, Toddlers, and Families (1994).

Informational Resources: Digests 105
Digests

Transition to Kindergarten

Parents, teachers, and other caregivers often have questions and concerns about preparing children for kindergarten. They wonder what children need to succeed in

school and how they can help make sure children are

ready for school.

What characteristics help children succeed?

Parents and teachers are similarly concerned about the

characteristics that prepare children for transition into

kindergarten and for ongoing school success. Findings

from a national study reveal that parents and teachers

agree that the ability to communicate is one of the most

important indicators of school success. Besides communication skills, teachers identify enthusiasm and

curiosity as critical characteristics that children need

when entering kindergarten (United States Department

of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement 1993). Parents believed that certain academic skills and the ability to pay attention were

important, too.

Current research on school readiness stresses the importance of the characteristics that parents and teachers

cited in the survey. When considering all the domains in

child development, several characteristics emerge as

predictors of successful kindergarten experiences and

general school success. These include the ability to

interact positively with peers in a group and to communicate with peers and adults in the home and school

environments. In addition, it is important for children to

be familiar with the concepts in the school curriculum

(Katz 1990).

Why are these skills important?

From the time they take their first step into a new

classroom, children are expected to learn new rules,

make new friends, and cooperate with adults. Thus,

before entering kindergarten, it is important that children have had many opportunities to develop social

skills and take direction from caregivers (Katz 1991).

How can teachers and families help children

develop these skills?

When parents and prekindergarten teachers provide

opportunities for social interaction, they facilitate a

child's adjustment to kindergarten (Katz and McClellan

1991). Through peer interaction and adult guidance in

conflict resolution, children gain a sense of self and

begin to develop the skill of taking the perspective of

another person. Through these play experiences, children develop communication and social skills that they

use when adjusting to new environments (Oden 1987).

What else makes transitions easier?

The relationship between the teaching philosophy of a

child's preschool and a new school also significantly

affects the transition process (Maxwell and Eller 1994).

The more similarity there is between a child's preschool

program and the kindergarten program, the smoother

the transition to kindergarten (United States Department of Education Office of Educational Research and

Improvement 1993).

Children have a natural disposition to learn. Early childhood educators enhance this motivation when they

design a curriculum that engages children in activities

that help them develop cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically. Classroom activities must also

allow each child to develop at his own rate (Nurss

1987). Thus, developmentally appropriate curriculum

practices in preschool and kindergarten (small group

learning, hands-on experiences with concrete materials, and child-led activities) greatly reduce the stress

that children experience in school (Maxwell and Eller

1994).

Overall, children are best prepared for kindergarten if

they develop a repertoire of social skills for interacting

with other children and adults. Additionally, the transition is easier when there is continuity between previous

and current school curricula that matches children's

Informational Resources: Digests

114

107
Digests

developmental levels. Children will flourish when teachers and parents provide a supportive, yet challenging

environment, and view kindergarten as a time for

children to learn about themselves, others, and their

surroundings.

For Further Reading

Katz, L.G. 1987. What Should Children Be Learning?

Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and

Early Childhood Education.

Katz, L.G. 1991. Readiness: Children and Schools.

Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and

Early Childhood Education.

Katz, L.G. and Diane McClellan. 1991. The Teacher's

Role in Children's Social Development. Urbana, IL:

ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

Maxwell, Kelly L. and Susan K. Eller. 1994. Children's

Transitions to Kindergarten. Young Children 49:

56-63.

National Center for Education Statistics. 1993.

Readiness for Kindergarten: Parent and Teacher

Beliefs. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Education.

Nurss, Joanne. 1987. Readiness for Kindergarten.

Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and

Early Childhood Education.

Oden, Sherry. 1987. The Development of Social

Competence in Children. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

108 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Digests

Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services'

In the early childhood field, the word transition is used in

many different ways. Traditionally, transition has been used

to describe the period of time that falls between two different

types of activities. Transition may also be used to describe the

time period in which children move from home to school,

from school to after-school activities, from one activity to

another within a preschool, or from preschool to kindergarten. In each case, early childhood professionals have been

concerned with easing the transition between two different

types of activities or environments.

Continuity: A Concept Revisited

With more and more children participating in early childhood

programs before they enter school, there is an increasing

focus on the transition that occurs when children move from

preschool to kindergarten. Many children have problems

adjusting to elementary school programs that have a different

philosophy, teaching style, and structure than those programs

in which they participated during their earlier years. Transition efforts were designed to help ease the entry into school

by preparing both children and families for the differences

children will encounter.

But more recently, there has been a growing consensus that

the key to effective services for young children is less through

bridging the gap between different types of programs, and

more through ensuring continuity in certain key elements that

characterize all good early childhood programs. This notion

of continuity is not new. In the late 1960s and early 1970s,

efforts such as Project Developmental Continuity and

Follow-Through were designed to ensure that the principles

of good early childhood programs continued into the early

years of elementary school. But today's concept of continuity has changed in several respects. First, there is now much

more consensus in the field regarding what constitutes

appropriate practice in all types of early childhood programs

from infancy through the primary grades. There is also

growing recognition that parent involvement is a key to a

child's success and should be encouraged as children move

on to elementary school. Finally, the need for supportive

services for both children and families has intensified. Cornprehensive family support and health services are critical

components throughout the early years.

Towards Continuity: Three Key Elements

If programs are to provide effective early childhood services

throughout children's early years, they must share at least

three characteristics: developmentally appropriate practice,

parent involvement, and supportive services for children and

families.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice. Continuity across

early childhood services is facilitated by the degree to which

all programs are developmentally appropriate. Naturally, the

setting, age range, and abilities of the children will differ

across programs. As children progress from preschool to

kindergarten and on to the primary grades, they show increased motor and language skills, they can pay attention

longer, they can play more cooperatively, and they are more

able to develop interests that go beyond their immediate

surroundings. Throughout the preschool and early elementary years, children learn best through active exploration of

their environment and through interactions with adults, other

children, and concrete materials that build on earlier experiences.

Programs for young children should not be seen as either

play-oriented or academic. Rather, developmentally

appropriate practice, whether in a preschool or a primary

classroom, should respond to the natural curiosity of young

children, reaffirm a sense of self, promote positive

dispositions towards learning, and help build increasingly

complex skills in the use of language, problem solving,

and cooperation.

Parent Involvement. One hallmark of any successful early

childhood program is the degree to which it involves parents.

Such involvement should not stop when children reach the

schoolhouse door. Good schools for young children welcome

family members in ways that go well beyond traditional

parent activities such as fundraising and annual parentteacher conferences. Ongoing communication between parents and teachers has become increasingly important. Parents

' Lombardi, Joan. Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and

Early Childhood Education. University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. 1992.

Informational Resources: Digests

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109
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can be involved as decision makers, volunteers, and staff.

They can participate in parent education and support groups,

be encouraged to observe the classroom, and, in general,

take a more active role in their child's education both at

school and at home.

Schools also need to respond to the diversity among families. Parent activities need to be responsive to the language

and culture of the family and be tailored to meet specific

needs of teen parents, single parents, working parents,

blended families, and families with special service needs.

Given the increasing number of working parents with young

children, employers can be supportive of parent involvement by providing release time for parent participation and

by initiating policies that support work and family life.

Supportive Services. Effective early childhood programs,

particularly those for low-income families, need to respond

to the comprehensive needs of children and families for

health care, child care, and other family supports. Traditionally, schools have not played a role in ensuring that such

services are provided. Yet there is a growing recognition that

schools are the natural hub for child and family services.

New relationships between school and other health and

human service providers are emerging as comprehensive

services are integrated into public education.

Supportive services that include school and parent representation promote collaborative processes and community development. The uniting of school and community resources

and concerns, and the clear recognition of the fact that the

school is embedded in its community, sustain healthy environments and contribute greatly to continuity for children

and families.

Conclusion

Traditional notions of transition, which focus on bridging

the gaps between different types of early childhood programs, are changing. Because we now know that young

children learn in similar ways throughout the early years, all

programs in the community should adhere to developmentally appropriate principles from infancy through the primary grades. In addition, parent involvement, family support,

and linkages to health services, which often characterize

preschool programs, should continue into the early years of

elementary school. It is through the continuity of such

services, in and out of the classroom, that we will eventually

move beyond a concern for transition and ensure continuous

and effective services throughout the.early years.

For More Information

Behrman, Richard (Ed.). The Future of Children: School

Linked Services. Los Altos, California: Center for the Future

of Children. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation,

1992.

Bredekamp, S. (Ed.). Developmentally Appropriate Practice

in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth

Through Age 8. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC, 1987.

Epps, Willie J. "Issues in Strengthening Linkages and the

Transitions of Children," NHSA Journal 10 (Winter, 1991):

44-48.

Kagan, Sharon L. "Head Start, Families and Schools: Creating Transitions That Work," NHSA Journal 10 (Winter,

1991): 40-43.

Katz, Lilian G. Engaging Children's Minds: The Project

Approach. Norwood, New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1989.

Levy, J.E., and Copple, C. Joining Forces: A Report from the

First Year. Alexandria, Virginia: National Association of

State Boards of Education, 1989.

Lombardi, J. (Ed.). Easing the Transition from Preschool to

Kindergarten. Washington, D.C.: Administration for

Children, Youth and Families, OHDS, USDHHS, 1986.

ED 313130.

Melaville, A., and Blank, M. What It Takes: Structuring

Interagency Partnerships to Connect Children and Families

with Comprehensive Services. Washington, D.C.: Education

and Human Services Consortium, 1991. ED 330748.

National Association of State Boards of Education. Right

from the Start. Alexandria, Virginia: National Association of

State Boards of Education, 1987.

National Association of State Boards of Education. Caring

Communities: Supporting Young Children and Families.

Alexandria, Virginia: National Association of State Boards

of Education, 1991.

"Position Statement: Guidelines for Appropriate Curriculum

Content and Assessment in Programs Serving Children Ages

3 through 8." Young Children 46 (March, 1991): 21-38.

110 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Digests

Continuity of Care and the Importance of Relationships

Young children need environments that offer security,

protection, and intimacy. When they have a continuing

relationship with a caregiver and are in a setting that

promotes close relationships with other children and

with parents, they develop a positive sense of self and

social skills. As programs focus on the continuation of

these relationships over time, children and family needs

are more easily met. In addition, caregivers experience

more job satisfaction and less stress.

Two vignettes adapted from ZERO TO THREE' s Heart

Start: The Emotional Foundations of School Readiness

(1992) illustrate the difference a special relationship can

make to a young child's experience in child care.

Impersonal Caregiving:

Tim stood just inside the entrance to the playroom. He

was sturdy for one-and-a-half, but short. The noise was

jarring, and he looked around for the woman his mother

talked to when they came in. She had said to his mother,

"He'll be fineI'll get him started," and she had taken

his hand. But now, just as fast, she was gone. It scared

him as much as the other time. This was not a good place

to be. He wanted his mother, and he wanted to go home.

A boy bumped him hard, and Tim fell. He crawled over

to the woman. He sat down and fingered some colored

blocks on the floor. A big boy came and grabbed one and

stepped on his hand. Tim yelped and cried and looked

around. He held his hurt hand in the other and the tears

ran down his cheeks. No one saw.

Two weeks later:

Tim stood just inside the entrance to the playroom. It was

very noisy. A boy ran past him and bumped him. Tim

lungedfor him and pushed him down. The boy cried, and

Tim walked over to the blocks.

He picked some up, and a bigger boy came and grabbed

them. Tim gave them up quickly and then turned and saw

that a smaller boy had some. He pulled them away from

him. The boy cried. Tim looked at the blocks. He couldn't

remember what he'd been doing with them, so he threw

them down. They made a very satisfying sound. He

picked up several other toys nearby and threw them.

Suddenly one of the women was there yelling at him and

holding his arm very hard. She was saying lots of things

to him, and now she said, "time out," and scrunched

him on a stool. He tried to get up but she wouldn't let

him. She waved a finger in his face. He thought about

biting it. She went away. He didn't like this place. He

wanted his mother. He wanted to go home.

What Tim is learning in this child "care" center is

almost everything we would not want him to learn. He

is important to no one here and must fend for himself,

as must others. For some, it is like homefor others it

is newly terrible. For all, it is a potentially damaging

experience.

Mindy the Primary Caregiver:

Tim and his mother had visited the center twice in the

last week. They had spent time with Mindy, who told

them she would be Tim's primary caregiver. Both Tim

and his mother felt comfortable with Mindy. She was

interested in them, wanted to talk regularly about Tim's

progress, and seemed to understand how Tim's mother

felt about leaving Tim to go to work. To Tim, today felt

much the same, but his mother knew she was going to

leave him for several hours and had told him so. Mindy

met them at the door, squatted down to speak to Tim,

who smiled shyly, remembering her, and then walked

with his mother and him to the small rocking horse that

Tim had so enjoyed the last time.

A small boy rushed by and bumped Tim quite hard.

Mindy caught the little boy and talked quietly to him,

introduced him to Tim, and sent him on his way. Tim got

on the horse and Mindy sat nearby where a somewhat

bigger girl was building with blocks and a boy was

working with large puzzle pieces. Mindy attended to all

of them in turn as they wanted her attention or help.

These were her three, and she always kept a special eye

on them.

When it was time for her to go, Tim's mother reminded

him she was leaving today. He looked surprised and

Informational Resources: Digests

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111
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climbed off the horse. Mindy picked him up and said,

"Let's go to the door and say goodbye to your mother."

Tim wanted to go with his mother. But his mother really

seemed to be leaving him, so he clung closer to Mindy,

who cuddled him and talked quietly. Then his mother

was gone. It was like everyone in the world was holding

their breath at the same time, but Mindy held him and

patted him and talked quietly. Then everyone began to

breathe again. Tim could see the toys and children, but

mostly he liked hearing Mindy's voice. Ten minutes

later, Tim was on his horse. He wasn't as wholly

confident as twenty minutes before, but he could still

ride, and Mindy was close by, always noticing when he

looked at her.

Two weeks later:

After his mother kissed him, Tim waved goodbye and

said, "Hi" again to Mindy who ruffled his hair. Tim

made a beeline for the block area, but when he got there

Wong Chen had corralled all of the red blocks Tim

wanted. Tim squatted down and watched Wong Chen.

In a minute, Mindy came over and squatted down too,

and they both watched him. Mindy said, "Tim likes

those blocks too, Wong Chen; would you let him play?"

Wong Chen looked at the floor, and then at Tim. Mindy

said, "OK, Wong Chen, then Tim can use them later."

And then to Tim, while pointing to some bristle blocks,

"Maybe you'd like these? I don't think anyone has

those." As Tim started to walk away, Wong Chen

handed him one red block. Mindy said, "Thank you,

Wong Chen, we'll use that."

... Later, Tim started to build a big car with red blocks,

a car like his mother's red car. His mother was working.

She would come later. "Mommy later," Tim said.

Mindy heard him. "She will, Tim," said Mindy. "She'll

come after your nap." "After nap," said Tim, and then

he said, "See my car?"

Tim is learning a lot in this center, mostly very good

things. He feels important. He feels heard and understood. He feels protected, and his primary caregiver

helps him negotiate the difficult things with other

children. He is learning to cooperate and pay attention

to what other children need and want. There is enough

space, there are enough providers, just enough children,

and abundant affection for everyone.

Adapted with permission from Lally, J.R., Y.L. Tones, and

P.C. Phelps, "Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Groups:

Necessary Considerations for Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Development" in ZERO TO THREE, Vol. 14, No. 5.

ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers,

and Families (1994).

11 2

112 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Program Profiles: Overview

Promising Practices

When we think of transitions in schools, we usually think of the movement of children between activities and

classes. In recent years, funds from governmental, private, and nonprofit agencies enabled early childhood educators and administrators to redefine transitions to include children's passage between early learning and care

environments.

In 1991, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children, Youth and Families

funded thirty-two Head Start Early Childhood Transition Demonstration Projects. One goal of these projects was

to form partnerships between Head Start and the public schools to pave the way for smoother transitions for children. Other sources of funding for transition programs include grants from private foundations; pooling of federal, state, and local resources; and collaborations between Head Start and state early childhood agencies.

Early childhood transition programs are tailored to serve the school, child care providers, and the larger community. The programs have many unique features and each profile highlights the creativity and cooperative spirit of

individuals who work with families in transition. The promising practices from a sampling of programs across

the country demonstrate the importance of involving administrators, frontline staff, and families. Examples of

effective practices follow:

Administration Involvement

Interagency agreements provide a foundation for pooling funding streams, sharing teaching materials, and

planning joint training for public school staff and the local child care community.

Administrators actively participate in parent nights and special events. They are accessible and have an ongoing working relationship with parents and parent groups.

Regular meetings are scheduled to facilitate communication between Head Start and public school staff.

Administrators provide staff leave time for joint transition training and visits to public schools and early

childhood programs in the community.

Transition coordinators serve as liaisons between feeder programs and the public schools.

The school curriculum is planned to build on a child's previous experience and current developmental level.

The administrator designates space in the school, assigns personnel, and forms partnerships with community

agencies to provide health and social service support to families as needed.

120

Informational Resources: Program Profiles 113
Program Profiles: Overview

Family Involvement

Families are consulted at each stage of the transition process and are actively involved in making informed

decisions about their children's education. Transition information packets are available for all families.

Returning parents serve as mentors for families entering schools for the first time. Veteran parents accompany teachers, care providers, and support service personnel on home visits.

Informal special events serve as ice breakers for families. Events include family field days, pizza parties, and

theme-based activity nights. Education, care, and support service personnel attend special events and distribute information to families.

Schools provide transportation for children and families to attend special events and supplemental programs.

Child care is provided during evening family meetings.

Family rooms and drop-in centers are housed in the schools. The family room offers parenting resources;

adult education classes; and a comfortable, welcoming space.

Family Service workers and their counterparts are assigned to families throughout their participation in the

transition program.

Teacher, Caregiver, and Health and Social Services Staff Involvement

Head Start personnel communicate with public school teachers about Head Start practices.

Teachers consult with colleagues about the curriculum and grade-level expectations.

Teachers and caregivers prepare children for transitions to and from their programs using books, dialogue,

field trips, and family activity packets.

Teachers make home visits before the school year begins.

Support service personnel in Head Start meet with their counterparts in the public school on a regular

basis. For example, health specialists meet with school nurses and family service coordinators meet with

school counselors.

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114 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Program Profiles

Address:

Contact:

Phone:

Program Type:

Funding Source:

Population:

Location:

Wisconsin Head Start Transition Project

CESA 5

626 East Slifer Street

Portage, WI 53901

Julia Herwig/Carola Pfortner

Project Director/Coordinator

Renewal Unlimited

P.O. Box 77

135 Linn

Baraboo, WI 53913

Linda Young

Executive Director

(608) 742-8811 (608) 356-8764

National Head StartPublic School Transition Demonstration Project

Federal

Families with children in kindergarten through third grade and theirteachers

Eight rural school districts (4 program and 4 comparison) in central Wisconsin

Transition Resources:

This program can be replicated via a variety of materials, resource guides, and training.

Family Services

Strength-based Family Service Plans through Family Resource Mapping. Identifies family

strengths/resources, and facilitates access to community resources.

Thematic Family TUBs for home visits, designed to foster parent-child interaction and family growth in

the areas of education, health, and family routines.

Counseling Track (Solution Focused/Brief Counseling) ofup to eight home visits with families experiencing multiple stressors.

Learning Track for children identified as academically at risk by family or teachers; includes classroom

consultations, tutoring, and in-home learning visits.

F.A.S. T (Families and Schools Together), a collaborative family outreach and prevention program to

address family resilience, parent-child, and family-school relationships.

Informational Resources: Program Profiles 115

122
Program Profiles

Education Services

Family Involvement activities include family story hours, coffee meetings, open houses, health fairs,

family nights, governing board, and joint planning at teacher institute. Volunteer/tutor coordination

programs to facilitate family and community involvement.

Teacher consultants to support developmentally appropriate practices as part of a common learning

philosophy between Head Start and public schools.

An Annual Summer Transition Institute including families and administrators. Also an administrative

institute.

Communication cycles for school change include cross-grade teacher meetings, Authentic Assessment

Committees, and Educational Advisory Committees.

Community Collaborations and Health Services

Interagency collaboration through monthly youth councils, case management, and family resource

mapping.

Joint activities such as F.A.S.T., community health fairs, and intergenerational programs.

Local service providers (fire department, police, health providers) participate in story hours in libraries

and schools.

Collaborative monthly newsletter to 1,600 family, school, and community team members in areas of

family, community, health, and education.

Achievements

Families increase awareness and utilization of resources in school and community to meet familyidentified goals in the areas of family enhancement, education, and health after transitioning from Head

Start to public schools.

Classrooms increasingly implement developmentally appropriate strategies.

Schools demonstrate increased awareness of family-identified needs and resources.

Resource guides and training materials for replication of transition activities.

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116 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Program Profiles

Address:

Contact:

Phone:

Program Type:

Funding Source:

Population:

Location:

Project Educational Impact (PEI)

Alpena Public Schools

2373 Gordon Road

Alpena. MI 49707

Jane Guyott, Program Director

(517) 356-0485

Local initiative, foundation and grant funded

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan

Michigan Children's Trust Fund

Families with young children from birth through five years. The program has ex- panded to incorporate services through third grade.

Activities are currently carried out in three elementary buildings of Alpena Public Schools. Alpena, Michigan, as well as through home visits. (Plans are to expand to the

remaining seven elementary buildings.)

Transition Resources:

Family Services

Parent mentorsparents with children in the schoolare paired with new parents (if needed) in the school community to offer guidance and support as well as to answer questions.

Monthly home visits (more if needed) by trained Home Visitors introduce parent-child activities and educational games to families that are developmentally appropriate.

Free monthly family dinners bring parents and children into the school environment in a non-traditional. non- threatening way. Child care is provided and transportation is arranged if necessary.

Quality parenting information is provided at the family dinners by professionals from the community.

124

informational Resources: Program Profiles 117
Program Profiles

Education Services

Communication with the school community begins before children are enrolled in kindergarten at age

five or six. Eligibility and contact begin at birth.

Children become comfortable with the school setting through attendance at the monthly family nights.

Children become familiar with eating in the cafeteria. They also ride the school bus before school starts.

Each family receives a notebook on child development and parenting tips. Children also receive educational gifts that are developmentally appropriate.

Community Collaborations and Health Services

Elementary school, Head Start, Title I, and community support through the foundation now work together with children.

The local Probate Court and Community Mental Health Department provide services to identified at-risk

families and children age six through eight.

The program is overseen by the Project Educational Success Advisory Board which represents a variety

of agencies across the community and region.

Achievements

Families have favorable attitudes about school, and are comfortable in the school setting and with school

personnel.

Parents are more knowledgeable about child development and age-appropriate activities and expectations.

Reduced incidents of child abuse.

Increased parent involvement in their children's education.

Transition to kindergarten is less stressful for children as shown by less crying at drop-off al:1 lunch.

Parents form friendships and volunteer to help the school and others.

Other schools have used the family night as a model for their programs.

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118 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Program Profiles

Address:

Cradle School

Byck Family Resource Center

2328 Cedar Street

Louisville, KY 40212

Contact: Stephany Hoover

Phone: (502) 485-8862

Program Type: Local initiative, federal and local funding

Funding Source: Federal Magnet Grant for Early Childhood Education. School District System

Population: Families with children from infancy through four years in urban school district

Location: Dann C. Byck Elemental), School, Louisville, Kentucky

Transition Resources:

Family Services

The Cradle School is designed as a school-within-a-schoolfor parents to learn while their children pre- pare for school.

Families attend parenting skill classes with their infants and toddlers.

Children aged two to four have separate early childhood learning experiences while their parents attend

classes.

Cradle School parents orient new parents to the elementary school.

Parents are taught how to work with their children at home to continue the educational process.

Education Services

Head Start, the Cradle School, pre-kindergarten, and the elementary school all work together to plan

programming for children.

Ungraded kindergarten through third grade, with multi-age grouping.

Older children are paired with younger buddies. Multi-age field trips are offered in each program.

Informational Resources: Program Profiles 119

126
Program Profiles

Community Collaborations and Health Services

Since Head Start, the state pre-kindergarten program, and the Cradle School are located in the same elementary school, parents from all three groups mix for training and workshops.

The Family Resource Center, located at Byck Elementary School, serves all families in the area.

Achievements

Parents have become very active in the school and have become liaisons between the community and the school.

Children whose families are involved with the Cradle School have not been retained in first grade.

Parents and staff sing together in a chorus, The Mamas and Papas of Byck Elementary, which has per- formed at statewide educational functions and at school activities.

127

120

Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Program Profiles

Address:

Project TRANSFER

Project TRANSFER

Community Unit School District #300

300 Cleveland Avenue

Carpentersville. IL 60110

Contact: Linda Kolbusz. Assistant Superintendent. Program Development

Phone: (847) 426-1300, ext. 313

Program Type: National Head StartPublic School Transition Demonstration Project

Funding Source: Integrated funding sources, local. state. and federal

Population: Racially and ethnically mixed communities with rapidly growing Latino. AfricanAmerican. low-income, and language minority populations

Location: Urban. suburban. and rural areas in Carpentersville and Elgin in Northern Kane

County thirty miles northwest of Chicago

Transition Resources:

Family Services

Home visits for over 300 families include short-term and long -term family planning. social services, and

education for all family members. and the celebration of developmental milestones.

Family support. information. intervention. crafts. and Fit n' Trim groups are offered in Spanish and

English. Family nights in math. science. and literacy encourage family involvement.

Families and Schools Together (F.A.S.T.). an eight -week program. strengthens family members' and

school staffs' relationships with service agency personnel.

Family Centers are located in elementary school sites with clothing closets. food pantries. and child care

facilities. Lending libraries allow families to borrow books. games. and toys.

Adult education classes. ESL. GED. and ABE are offered both day and night at elementary schools.

Informational Resources: Program Profiles 121
Program Profiles

Education Services

Transition activities allow children, family members, and teachers to meet informally to ensure program

continuity and school success.

Parents, teachers, and staff attend training and workshops together to enhance developmentally appropriate activities for children.

Community Collaborations and Health Services

Local Governing Board, composed of 51 percent parents and 49 percent school, business, and agency

representatives, organizes programs and services to reduce duplication and provide seamless service

delivery.

Comprehensive Wellness Clinics support families by providing immunizations, nutritional information,

counseling, WIC coupons, physicals, and other services in a school setting.

Staff training to assist families in working appropriately with local service providers.

Local service providers conduct conflict resolution workshops, domestic violence support groups, mental health counseling, and job training in a school setting.

Child care is provided for parent classes, conferences, and other school/community activities.

Integrated Program staff help others with promising practices illustrated by activities such as: Transition

Maps, Family Mapping System, and the Quilt of Learning Conference.

Achievements

Infant screening and parent information through the Public Health Department Healthy Moms/Healthy

Kids Program to children, and over 525 families. Nutrition counseling to over 370 families through

WIC. Immunizations of over 2,652 children and 525 screenings to determine appropriate placement and

services for pre-primary children.

Implementation of developmentally appropriate practices in schools to meet the needs of all children.

Communitywide planning and commitment to assist children and families in need, while providing continuity in programming.

Awards/Recognitions: National Governors AssociationGovernor's Campaign for Children; National

Alliance of Business Bronze Community Award for Excellence in Education; Illinois State Board of

Education Business Education Partnership Honorable Mention; Illinois Department of Public Health

Cornerstone Foundation Award; featured in publications such as Education Week, Chicago Tribune,

Illinois Kids Count 1995, Daily Herald, and Northwest Herald.

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122 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Program Profiles

Address:

Southwest Communication Resources

Infant and Early Childhood Program

Southwest Communication Resources. Inc.

P.O. Box 788

Beulah llo. NM 87004

Contact: Randi Suzanne Malach, Director of Program Services

Phone: (505) 867-3396

Program Type: Local initiative. Began as a foundation-funded project to enhance Southwest Communications Resources' early intervention program. Now all activities are incorporated

into early intervention program.

Population: Serves families of diverse cultural backgrounds whose children are developmentally

disabled or who have/are at risk for delays in development. These children transition

to community Head Start programs (includes seven different Native American tribes

and a large native/immigrant Hispanic population).

Location: Family homes, day care centers, and Head Start centers in central New Mexico

Transition Resources:

Family Services

Family support is an integral part of services provided to families of infants/toddlers with special developmental needs.

Staff and developmental specialists work with bilingual/bicultural liaison workers to ensure that services

are culturally responsive and that native language interpretation is available as needed.

Because children must transition during the year after their third birthday, staff help families to explore

placement options when their child is two years old. The year prior to the transition. families are encouraged to visit Head Start and other placement options. Staff accompany them on visits, and parents are

linked to other parents who have already experienced the transition.

Parent-child group activities are held monthly to facilitate parent-to-parent support in a comfortable and

culturally appropriate atmosphere.

Families are assisted in completing required transition/placement documentation. arranging for testing.

and setting up and participating in pre-transition meetings.

Informational Resources: Program Profiles I 23

1_50
Program Profiles

Education Services

Developmental specialists conduct workshops for teachers on how to work more effectively with fami- lies and children who have special needs. Videotapes on inclusion (including bilingual/bicultural ones) are used to familiarize Head Start staff with inclusive services in Head Start and other child care settings.

Children and parents visit and participate in Head Start activities several times before transition. This allows staff and family to identify areas of support that might be needed to ensure successful transition.

After transition, staff developmental specialists visit the child in Head Start to answer questions and

provide child-specific training and technical assistance. Staff also meet with Head Start and school ancillary staff to discuss successful strategies for the child.

Community Collaborations and Health Services

An interagency agreement was formed between Southwest's Infant-Early Childhood Program, Head Start, and local school districts. This facilitates the provision of coordinated services.

The Infant-Early Childhood Program, Head Start, and local school districts collaborate with external health and social service agencies to provide an annual Family Health Fair Day: free developmental screening, hearing and vision testing, blood pressure testing, a parade, and food and games.

Achievements

Head Start staff are more comfortable enrolling and serving children with special health and develop- mental needs.

Families are happy that their children receive necessary support services while attending the community Head Start with neighborhood children.

Interagency coordination of services has resulted in children receiving a more comprehensive program within local communities.

Parent-to-parent support activities have resulted in parents forming individual support networks that continue even after transition.

124 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Hands-on Activities

Sample Transition Activities:

Infants and Toddlers

Practice Cues, Routines, Activities

What matters most is consistency. Senders, including parents, can share the songs that

they use to rock a baby to sleep, a toddler's daily schedule, and favorite activities. Receivers

build on these cues, routines, and activities, and pair them with the cues that they use with

the group. For example, the new baby's familiar song will be sung as he is rocked to sleep

in the special chair that the caregiver uses to soothe children. A toddler who has

had experience coloring with crayons can be offered these familiar art materials in the

morning when babies are sleeping. Children will feel comforted by the familiarity and

consistency of the activities. They will begin to associate new cues with old routines so

that they eventually know that the special chair means naptime and that morning is art time.

Talk about the Transition

Infants and toddlers cannot anticipate the future. They begin to learn about the sequence

of events when verbal cues are paired with actions. Saying we are going to visit the Early

Head Start Center today will not prepare the child for the new setting. However, if a toddler

hears this statement with each visit, he will begin to understand. Infants tune into the tone

of voice and the body language of those talking about the transition. Parents who feel good

about the new setting can convey this as they hand the infant over to the caregiver and

say, Judy will take care of you today, and I will be back later.

Test Out New Behaviors

Infants and toddlers will gradually begin to trust a new caregiver and feel secure exploring the environment. By providing many opportunities to get to know the caregiver and the

setting, these young children gradually are stimulated to try new things. As infants

and toddlers sense that caregivers and their parents are comfortable with each other, they

become more comfortable themselves. Parents can be invited to visit the setting frequently

before the transition. Receiving staff visit the child in her current setting and in her

home. In a transition between classrooms, sending staff and the child visit the receiving

classroom frequently. A special services provider can also accompany the child to the

new setting. Toys from the new setting can be introduced to the child at home or in a current

setting.

Build on Experiences at Home and at the Previous Settings

Bringing toys and special blankets, audio cassettes, and baby equipment from home provides a physical connection to the home. Having photographs of the family in the caregiving setting and allowing the child to take something from the caregiver home provides

a connection for the child. Special family -child activities help smooth transitions into the

program. A system of regular communication is essential as children transition into

a program. It is important to maintain these connections all year.

132

Informational Resources: Hands-on Activities 125
Hands-on Activities

Show Children that They Belong

Infants and toddlers in mixed age groups enjoy playing next to older children. The older

children often are engaged in activities that are not appropriate for infants and toddlers.

Child care providers can use a number of techniques to include infants and toddlers in

the group. Similar types of age-appropriate materials can be provided for all children at the

same time. For example, toddlers can be given playdough while preschoolers and primary

school children engage in more complex art activities. Infants can play with soft blocks

on the floor while older children use legos on the table. All children can engage in group

activities such as taking a walk or hearing a story.

13'

126 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Hands-on Activities

Sample Transition Activities:

Preschoolers/Kindergartners

Practice Cues, Routines, Activities

Gradually introduce preschoolers to cues, routines, and activities that will be part of the new

setting. New songs, fingerplays, ways to label objects, and procedures for using the bathroom

can be introduced before preschoolers move to the new setting. Make sure that you introduce

these routines in a developmentally appropriate way. For example, if lining up is part of the

next classroom routine, keep in mind that preschoolers have a limited ability to be still and

follow directions. Instead of asking all children to line up and wait for their turn at the water

fountain, call a limited number of children at a time to line up for their turn. Another strategy

is to take a rope with you on an outdoor walk and have the children hold onto it, one behind

the other. Make it a challenge to stay together for a short distance. To prepare children for

cafeteria style meals, practice using trays to carry toys from one classroom center to another

or to clean up the playroom at home.

Talk about the Transition

Tell children about the activities and routines that will continue in the next setting.

For example, when children are enthusiastic about singing, tell them that they will sing with

their teacher next year, too. A child who is very attached to the cook will be glad to hear that

she is also the cook for the three-year-old class and the four-year-old class. Photographs

of a child at different stages can help begin a discussion of how the child has been able to

learn and do new things as she has been growing and how she has had successful transitions

in the past. Kindergartners can visit the preschool to share a photo journal of the things they

did in kindergarten. Take pictures of the school buses, the learning centers, and the children

when your class visits the new setting. Bring out the pictures and ask questions like: What do

you remember about the visit? Does anyone have a big brother or sister that rides the school

bus?Did you see some things that looked the same? What looked different? Books can be

used to help children think and talk about their feelings. After reading a story about a child

in transition you can ask the children what the story character was feeling and if they have

ever felt that way.

Test Out New Behaviors

Provide props so preschoolers can imagine the new setting by playing kindergarten,

pretending to ride the school bus, or pretending to leave their baby sister at home while they

go to preschool. Invite older children from the new setting to join in the dramatic play. While

they play they can provide information. Suggesting experiences, such as meeting a new

friend or playing with a sibling during recess, can provide direction. Monitoring play can help

parents and caregivers understand the child's feelings. Puppets can be introduced as the

teacher, principal, janitor, cook, and bus driver, and the child can practice interactions with

new staff. Children with special needs will especially benefit from practicing the self-help

skills needed in the new setting. Cooks can schedule a cafeteria tray day and secretaries can

help children learn their phone numbers by practicing calling home in the office. Provide

opportunities for children to make new friends by scheduling multiclass activities, inviting

playmates home after school, and partnering children with new classmates.

Informational Resources: Hands-on Activities 127

13/2
Hands-on Activities

Build on Experiences at Home and at the Previous Settings

Find out all you can about a child's previous experiences. Who have been the important

people in this child's life? What was the child's favorite activity in the previous setting?

What does she like to do at home? What language do they speak at home and what are the

cultural values of his family? To get this information, schedule a transition planning meeting before the child enters your program. Ask both the sending caregiver and the family to

attend the meeting and tell you about the child. Gain permission from the family to obtain

records from the sender and to communicate with them after the transition. Ask them to

help you brainstorm ways to help the child adjust to your setting. After the child transfers,

refer back to the child's records, and talk with the sender and parents. What else might

help? Is there anything new happening at home that the child might want caregivers to know

about? Encourage parents to volunteer, attend social get-togethers, and communicate

regularly. Ask children to share pictures of family and caregivers and portfolios of work

from old settings. Help the child send a picture or card to his old setting.

Show Children that They Belong

Preschoolers and kindergartners can learn to find their names in a setting. The more

places that they see and hear their names, the more they feel like part of the setting. Sing songs

and play games that use children's names. Make name tags, bulletin boards, cubbies,

and daily helper charts. Make it easy for a child to reach toys, put things in his cubby, and find

his place at the table. Pictures of toys and materials with their names help children know

where to find them. When all staff greet children as they enter and take the time to say

goodbye, children feel accepted and important. Asking children already in the setting to

help you welcome a newcomer or act as a buddy helps them to recognize the child and invite

her to play. The new child will also want to know the other children's and staff members'

names. Use names frequently so that they become familiar. Children who cannot fully

participate in an activity should not be excluded, but should be invited to join the group

and given some part in the activity.

128 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Hands-on Activities

Sample Transition Activities:

Primary School Children

Practice Cues, Routines, Activities

Assign homework early in the year that integrates the school routines with classroom learning

objectives. For example, if children are learning about time, send home the classroom routine

and ask parents to help children read the clock at home and add times from their home routine.

Begin the school year by clarifying the cues used in the classroom. Do not assume that all

students will know what to do when they hear the bell ring or when you ask them to get out

their work folder. During the first week or two, check with students during class meetings:

What do we do when the bell rings? Which folder is the work folder? Where do you put

finished homework assignments? Make new rules for the class, the lunchroom, or the school

bus only as needed, and discuss the reasons for the rule with the children. Post rules in visible

places. Check back to see who knows the rule and can find it on the list. Coordinate the

curriculum with other teachers so activities are not all new, and children have time to develop

skills through a variety of activities.

Talk about the Transition

The sending teachers and older students can visit children who will be transferring into the

next grade to see special projects the younger students have done. They can tell the younger

students what projects will be similar next year. Younger children can learn about the next

grade by having older students invite them into their classroom to engage in reading partner

activities or demonstrate science activities. Involving children in schoolwide activities

throughout the year provides time for children to become familiar with all the teachers in the

school. When teachers come to school to set up their classrooms in the summer, parents and

children can come to meet the teacher and help set up the school. A reception committee can

be responsible for introducing newcomers to school staff and other peers.

Test Out New Behaviors

Children who will be assigned homework in the next grade enjoy doing pretend homework

with older siblings or peers. Teachers in the sending classroom can help children test out this

new behavior by providing developmentally appropriate supplemental learning activities to

do at home. Children who will have new responsibilities in the cafeteria or at the bus stop can

be paired with an older student for a day or week at the end of the year.

Build on Experiences at Home and at the Previous Settings

Find out about a child's previous experiences. Who have been important people in this child's

life? What does he like to do at home? What language do they speak at home, and what are

the values of his family? Refer to the child's records, portfolio, sending teacher, and parent

to understand the child's interests and strengths. Develop activities to encourage children to

share home experiences in the classroom. Encourage parents to work as partners with you.

Informational Resources: Hands-on Activities 129
Hands-on Activities

Show Children that They Belong

Children with helping roles in the classroom and the school feel that they belong and that

their contributions are important. Many tasks can be rotated to give everyone a role early

in the year. Remember that most classrooms will include a mix of children who know each

other and those who are unfamiliar with others in the class. Take time to help children get to

know and accept each other. Cooperative learning experiences can be developed to allow

children with a variety of strengths to work together. Take time to get to know the particular

contributions that children with disabilities or other special needs can contribute.

130 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Hands-on Activities

Choose a Book

Prepare

Reading Stories about Transition

Select a book on transition from the attached list, or talk with a librarian or teacher to

identify other books that are helpful with transitions. Look for these features:

Attitudes and feelings about transition

Transition is not always easy. It is scary and exciting.

There is much to be proud of as you transition and grow.

Other children have similar feelings.

Information about transition

Some things will be the same, and some will be different.

Parents and staff guide children in a new setting.

New settings mean new peers and new experiences.

Before reading the book with the child, review it thoroughly to be sure you know the story

and can answer any questions. Gather information about the new setting so you can give

accurate answers to children's questions about what their new program will be like.

Tell the Story

Read the book with the child or group. First ask open-ended questions about what happened

in the story. Help children label the feelings of the child in the story. Then expand your

discussion with questions like: What did the child seem worried about in his new school?

What helped him feel better? Show children pictures of the actual setting that they will move

to. Ask them if it looks like the setting in the story. What do they remember seeing when they

visited the new school? Does anyone have a brother or sister in that setting? What did they

see in the new setting that looks like their current setting? What looks different?

Discuss the Story

Ask children to think about what they would like to do in the new setting. Draw a picture or

write a story about what they want to learn. Put it in their portfolio or mail it to the new

program along with a statement about what the child liked best in your setting (with parents'

permission).

Make Books Available

Regularly rotate books on transition in your reading corner for children in your program.

Provide parents with the list of books or loan those in your collection to families.

13o

Informational Resources: Hands-on Activities 131
Hands-on Activities

Books to Prepare Children for Transition

Author Title

Alexander Sabrina

Allard Miss Nelson Is Missing

Anderson Carlos Goes to School

Arnold Where Do You Go to School?

Barkin I'd Rather Stay Home

Behrens What I Hear in My School

Breinburg Shawn Goes to School

Buchmeier I Know a Teacher

Calmenson The Kindergarten Book

Cassidy We Like Kindergarten

Caudill A Pocket Full of Crickets

Charles Calico Cat at School

Cohen The New Teacher

Cohen No Good in Art

Cohen When Will I Read?

Cohen Will I Have a Friend?

Delton The New Girl at School

Frandsen I Started School Today

Gordon Crystal Is the New Girl

Haas A Special Place for Johnny

Hamilton- My First Days of School

Meritt

Hillert Who Goes to School?

Holland First Day of School

Hurd Come with Me to Nursery

School

Author

Isadora

Lenski

Lystad

Marino

Mason

Meshover

Nichols

Oxenbury

Parish

Quackenbush

Relf

Rockwell

Schick

Schwartz

Simon

Steiner

Tobias

Welbar

Wittman

Wolde

Title

Willaby

Debbie Goes to Nursery School

Jennifer Takes Over P.S. 94

Where Are the Mothers?

I Go to School

The Monkey That Went to

School

Big Paul's School Bus

First Day of School

Jumper Goes to School

First Grade Jitters

Show and Tell

My Nursery School

The Little School at

Cottonwood Corners

Bea and Mr. Jones

I'm Busy Too

I'd Rather Stay with You

The Dawdlewalk

Goodbye, Hello

The Wonderful Mrs. Trumbly

Betsy's First Day at Nursery

School

Adapted from Transition. Head Start Bureau, U.S. Administration for Children, Youth and Families. Washington,

DC, 1988.

133

132 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Hands-on Activities

Objectives

Procedure

Preparing a Newsletter

Parents become more aware of and involved in school or program activities.

Families can participate in a monthly school activity.

Program staff can regularly check in with families.

Families receive information on healthy nutrition, education, community services,

parenting, and school involvement.

First Steps

Get supervisor's permission.

Decide how often to publish newsletter.

Make sure you have set aside time in your scheduleat least four days per month.

Talk to teachers and principals to make sure they will participate.

Inform the parents of what you are doing.

Next Steps

Pick out the topics and headings you will use in your newsletter.

Get information from teachers.

Get information from parents for each newsletter.

Suggest specific topics.

Get information from community groups such as:

Chamber of Commerce

Town hall, village government, city clerk

Clubs (Lions, Moose Lodge, Jaycees, women's clubs, etc.)

Library

University extension office

Parks department

Check community events postings in stores, post office, banks, etc.

Develop files with additional information on:

Health and safety tips

Family activities

Promoting self-esteem

How to improve study habits/grades

Promoting independence

Interesting quotes, poems, comics, stories, etc.

140

Informational Resources: Hands-on Activities 133
Hands-on Activities

Steps for Producing the Newsletter

Put all the information together. Parents' contributions are first priority.

Have a designated person type it up.

Proofread.

Distribute to all families, school staff, and community partners.

Get information for your next newsletter at least two weeks prior to sending it out.

Adding artwork to the newsletter helps to break up text and makes it easier to read.

What Makes It Easy

Supervisor's support

Teachers who are enthusiastic and willing to be involved

Principals who are willing to help

Funds for the program

Community members willing to talk and give information

Parents who like to get involved and give information

Use of a specific person's time to type the newsletter

Supportive members within agency to offer ideas and help out

Being flexible enough to change parts of newsletter if needed

Having some suggested topics for parents who feel they have nothing to contribute

What Makes It Difficult

Encouraging all to contribute

Continually finding the right time to talk to teachers and community people

Some Possible Headings for Your Newsletter

From the Teachers (or School)for teachers to tell about classroom events

Pat on the Backwhere anyone can say thank you or good job to another

Helpful Hintsholiday ideas, household tips, parenting tips

Just a Thoughtfor sharing something that one has read that was funny or informative

For the Familyideas for family activities (reading, cooking, writing, playing, etc.)

Otherany topic you want (be sure to represent all community members)

Community Eventswhat is happening in the community, especially events for the

whole family (places and times for immunizations, blood pressure check-ups, etc.)

Adapted from the Wisconsin Head Start Transition Project

141

134 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Hands-on Activities

Inviting Parents into the Classroom

Objectives

Introduce and involve parents in school in an informal, comfortable way.

Have parents meet and socialize with other parents.

Families will receive information about community services and programs.

It provides a time for parents to find out about volunteer opportunities within the school.

Parents will become familiar with child's classroom, school work, teacher, and other

school personnel.

Procedure

First Steps

Get supervisor's and principal's permission.

Decide how often to have social times.

Make sure you have set aside enough time in your schedule.

Suggest idea to other teachers.

Work with the principal to find a room.

Set a time and date.

Next Steps

Coordinate with teachers to display children's classwork.

Post a volunteer sign-up sheet.

Invite parents to participate.

Coordinate the responsibilities of preparation.

Hosting the Social Time

Send out reminder notes to all the children in the class two days prior to the social.

Get supplies ready.

Coffee pot, coffee, and something to eat such as rolls or donuts

Pens

Plenty of chairs

Handouts to give out

Be prepared to talk about the program.

Get to the room early to set it up.

Do not disturb any classes.

Be out of the room on time.

Informational Resources: Hands-on Activities 135
Hands-on Activities

Follow-up Steps

Remember to thank the presenter for coming!

Make sure the room is clean.

Talk with the principal and teacher (when they are free) to see how they thought it went.

Thank the teacher and principal (and any other staff that helped).

Leave any extra food for the teachers.

Set up a time and date for the next social.

Be prepared to make changes if something does not go well.

Other Suggestions for the Social

Have a principal or speaker come in to talk to the parents informally.

Give out informative handouts.

Talk about specific topics.

Possible Topics Possible Speakers

Health, first aid, and exercise County nurse

Discipline American Heart Association representatives

Study times/habits Government representatives

What Makes It Easy

Teachers and principals who are enthusiastic and willing to be involved

Funds in the program

Teachers willing to send reminder slips home with the kids

Morning kindergarten is easier to schedule

Available space in the school

What Makes It Difficult

Finding a room (space)

Setting up a good time for you, the school, the teachers, and the parents

Adapted from the Wisconsin Head Start Transition Project

143

136 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
e

Hands-on Activities

Sharing Information with Parents

Find out what parents want to know

Review the attached list of Questions Parents Have about Kindergarten to become

familiar with the kinds of questions parents have during transition.

Ask parents in your program what questions they have about the next setting.

Determine the information schools provide

Determine what information your school district is providing to parents during orientation days.

Call the schools, talk with former Head Start parents, and review printed materials

provided to parents by the schools.

Arrange for additional information to be shared

Arrange for a speaker to come to your setting to provide more information directly to

parents. The speaker might be a principal, former Head Start parent, or kindergarten

teacher.

Inform the speaker what kind of information parents would like to have.

Include a question and answer period.

Encourage attendance

Follow up

Encourage parents to come by making a personal contact as well as providing several

notices of the event.

Serve refreshments and provide child care services for families.

Continue to provide information about the transition to parents both formally and

informally.

Summarize the meeting in your newsletter, distribute handouts to parents who did not

IIIattend the session, and pursue any unanswered questions by making additional contacts.

Informational Resources: Hands-on Activities 137
Hands-on Activities

Questions Parents Have about Kindergarten

Who

will be my child's teacher?

do I talk with if my child is having problems?

do I talk with if I do not understand the school policies?

can tell me about the school volunteer program?

What

do I need to buy for my child to go to school?

is my role in the school?

kinds of shots does my child need?

forms do I need to fill out to register my child for school?

after-school and child care programs are available at the school?

Where

will my child go to school?

will the bus pick up my child?

can parents get help and information about parenting?

are special services and bilingual classes offered?

When

does school start?

can we visit the school?

does the law state that my child must attend school?

will my child be tested?

How

can I prepare my child for kindergarten?

will I know what is happening in school?

can I help with homework?

can I meet other parents at the school?

Why

does the school need my child's records?

111 does my child have to walk (or ride the bus)?

does the school enroll kindergartners for half days (or full days)?

138 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

4 ,5
Resources

This training guide introduces readers to concepts, issues, and ideas associated with

implementing effective transition practices. The list below includes some resources that can

provide additional information and ideas to help implement these practices.

Barbour, Nita H., and Carol Seefeldt. Developmental Continuity across Preschool and

Primary Grades. Wheaton, MD: Association for Childhood Education International,

1993.

This publication defines developmental continuity and suggests strategies for implementing

continuity of organization, curriculum, environment, and evaluation in a school. The book

cites examples of projects that have successfully achieved continuity in these areas. To order

a copy, call: 1-800-423-3563.

Brammer, Lawrence M. "Coping with Life Transitions." International Journal for the

Advancement of Counseling (1992): 239-253.

This journal article defines transitions and uses a process-stage model of transition to

describe how people react to change. It also describes research-validated coping skills.

Bredekamp, Sue, ed. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood

Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Washington, DC: National

Association for the Education of Young Children, 1987.

This NAEYC publication summarizes research on the developmental needs of children as

they grow from infancy to age eight. This book also describes appropriate and inappropriate

practices for children in group care, and includes a special chapter entitled Transitions:

Changes and Challenges. To order a copy, call: 1-800-424-2460.

Bridges, William. Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Massachusetts:

Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1991.

This book is a general introduction to transitions, especially those that take place in the

workplace. It defines the transition process and suggests exercises for coping with transitions.

Resources 139

14 `E,
Resources

Church, Ellen B. "Getting Ready for Children." Early Childhood Today (August/

September 1993): 60-67.

This article offers teachers strategies for preparing the classroom for incoming children.

Special sections include creating a welcoming environment for parents, preparing for

children with special needs, and examples of external supports needed at different developmental stages. To order a copy, call Scholastic Inc.: 1-800-544-2917.

Copp le, C., S. Deich, L. Brush, and S. Hoffreth. Learning Readiness: Promising

Strategies. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993.

This document provides profiles on programs that are especially successful in preparing

children to begin school ready to learn. This survey of national efforts includes preschool,

elementary school, secondary school, and multi-age programs. Contact names are included.

To order a copy from the Government Printing Office, call: 1-202-512-1800.

Daniel, Jerlean E. "Infants to Toddlers: Qualities of Effective Transitions." Young

Children (September 1993): 16-21.

This article describes the infant-to-toddler transition and demonstrates how staff at one child

care center put transition theory into practice. To order a copy, call the National Association

for the Education of Young Children at: 1-800-424-2460.

Dodge, Diane T., and Laura J. Colker: The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care.

Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc., 1991.

This curriculum guide is for home providers. It delineates the social, emotional, and cognitive

needs of children at different developmental stages and instructs providers on how to meet

these needs through a carefully developed curriculum. Because home care involves multi-age

grouping, the book gives examples of ways to include children of all ages in activities and

includes suggestions for working with parents. To order a copy, call: 1-800-637-3652.

Dodge, Diane T., Judy R. Jablon, and Toni S. Bickart. "Welcoming Children to the

Classroom Community." In Constructing Curriculum for the Primary Grades.

Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc., 1994.

This curriculum guide offers primary school teachers concrete suggestions for designing a

classroom setting that eases transition. To order a copy, call: 1-800-637-3652.

140 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Resources

Evolson, Allana C. The Kindergarten Survival Handbook: The Before School Checklist

& A Guide for Parents. Santa Monica, CA: Parent Education Resources, 1993.

This guide provides a checklist of the skills a child needs to be ready for kindergarten. It also

offers parents tips for preparing their child for school. To order a copy, fax: 1- 310 -458-

9758.

Fleck, Karen M. "Supporting the Transition to Elementary School." Principal

Magazine (May 1995): 25-27.

This article describes how the Santa Clara County Head Start Transition Project has worked

to facilitate early childhood transitions. Included are examples of successful practices. To

request a copy, call: 1-800-386-2377.

Follman, Caroline. Forward to Sharing Success in the Southeast: Promising Practices

in Preschool-to-School Transition. Virginia: ERIC Document Reproduction Service,

1992.

This document describes transition efforts in the Southeastern United States. It provides

profiles on successful transition programs. Highlighted programs include: school district

funded and administered; school-based programs that strengthen links between preschool

and elementary school; and comprehensive preschools that strengthen links between social

service providers and early intervention programs. Contact names are included. To order a

copy, call: 1-800-443-3742.

Greene, Ed, Marilyn A. Jacobson, Jane Maehr, and Patricia P. Olmsted. "Reaching

Out to Other Settings and Caregivers." In Supporting Young Learners, Ideas for

Preschool and Day Care Providers. Nancy Altman Brickman and Lynn Spencer Taylor,

ed. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press, 1991.

Chapter six in this book contains four articles that demonstrate the need for early childhood

program staff to develop close ties with parents, other caregivers, and other community

service providers. The first article, Continuity: Building Bridges between Settings, suggests

ways for early childhood staff to build linkages between settings. The second and third

articles, Parent Involvement: It's Worth the Effort and Involving Busy Parents, discuss how

to enhance parent-staff relationships. The final article, Kindergarten: Thorns in the Child's

Garden?, describes how to extend the High/Scope teaching method from preschool to

kindergarten. To order a copy, call: 1-800-407-7377 or fax: 1-800-442-4329.

Resources 141

14
Resources

Hergert, Leslie F., Susan E. Mundry, Frances Arick Kolb, Raymond Rose, and Jo

Corro. Making Change for School Improvement. Andover, MA: The Network, Inc.,

1988. (Simulation game).

This simulation game is a training tool that provides players with an opportunity to learn

about effective strategies for promoting positive changes in schools. Players role play and

participate in team problem solving in order to simulate the process of organizational

change. The game is based on educational research and includes a leader's manual that

explains how to use the game as a training tool. For ordering information, call The Network,

Inc., at 1-508-470-1080 or write them at 300 Brickstone Square, Suite 900, Andover,

Massachusetts 01810.

Love, J.M., M.E. Logue, J.V. Trudeau, and K. Thayer. Transitions to Kindergarten in

American Schools. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 1992.

This document is the final report of the National Transition Study. It describes the purpose,

background, methodology, results, and implications for practice. An executive summary

that includes highlights of the study is also available. To order a copy, request document

ED344693 at: 1-800-443-3742.

Marcon, Rebecca A. "Fourth-Grade Slump: The Cause and Cure." Principal Magazine (May 1995): 17-20.

This article reviews the results of a study examining the difficult transition to upper

elementary grades. It attributes fourth -grade slump to the overly academic emphasis of early

childhood programs. The article makes the case that transitions are more successful when

children are exposed to developmentally appropriate curricula in early education. To order

a copy, call the National Association of Elementary School Principals at: 1-800-386-2377.

McCoy-Thompson, M., J. Vanneman, and F. Bloom. The Healthy Start Initiative: A

Community Driven Approach to Infant Mortality ReductionVol. II. Early Implementation: Lessons Learned. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal

and Child Health, 1994.

This publication offers strategies for reducing infant mortality through a community

approach. Examples of successful regional efforts are included. To order a copy, call:

1-703-821-8955 ext. 254 or fax: 1-703-821-2098.

I 40

142 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity
Resources

Pau lu, Nancy. Helping Your Child Get Ready for School. Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Education, 1992. Wilma P. Green, ed.

This Department of Education publication describes what it means to be ready for school

and suggests age-appropriate activities for parents to initiate with their children. Also

included are characteristics of children at different developmental stages and ways parents

can support the needs of the developing child. To order a copy, request document CIC, 309B

at: 1-800-424-1616.

Powell, Douglas R. Families and Early Childhood Programs. Washington, DC:

National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1989.

This is a comprehensive review of research on family involvement in early childhood

programs. Topics include the effects of continuity and discontinuity on children, parent

education and support, opportunities for future research, and program planning. To order a

copy, call: 1-800-424-2460.

Provence, Sally, Jeree Pawl, and Emily Fenichel, eds. The Zero to Three Child Care

Anthology 1984-1992. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE/National Center for

Infants, Toddlers, and Families, 1992.

This is a collection of essays that focus on infant and toddler care. The essays describe care

options for children aged birth to three, care for infants and toddlers with special needs, and

supports for child care programs and providers. It also includes a review of the research on

infant/toddler care. To order a copy, call: 1-800-899-4301.

Regional Educational Laboratories. Continuity in Early Childhood: A Framework for

Home, School, and Community Linkages. Regional Educational Laboratories Early

Childhood Collaboration Network, November 1995.

This document describes a framework for providing continuity in early childhood education.

It defines eight elements of continuity and provides an opportunity for communities to assess

their own practices using the document as an assessment tool. To order a copy, contact your

nearest Regional Educational Laboratory.

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Responding to Children under Stress: A Skill-based Training Guide for Classroom Teams.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1994.

This guide offers a staff development program that helps teachers support children who live

in stressful environments. Eight two-hour sessions are included. Specific sessions include

supporting parents, the daily schedule, routines, transitions, and the learning environment.

To order a copy, write: Head Start Publication Management, P.O. Box 26417, Alexandria,

VA 22313-0417 (HS2255) or fax: 1-703-683-5769.

Rosenkoetter, Sharon E., Ann H. Haim, and Susan A. Fowler. Bridging Early Services

for Children with Special Needs and Their Families: A Practical Guide for Transition

Planning. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 1994.

This book offers a variety of suggestions for helping young children with disabilities to

transition to regular preschool or kindergarten programs. It spells out strategies and provides

tools for planning and implementing effective transition practices. To order a copy, call

1-316-241-7754.

Seefeldt, Carol, and Barbara Warman. Young and Old Together. Washington, DC:

National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1990.

This book provides guidelines for planning curriculum experiences for children aged three

to eight that help children understand they are growing and changing. These activities can be

useful in preparing children for transition and developing intergenerational programs. To

order a copy, call: 1-800-424-2460.

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Getting Schools Ready for Children: The

Other Side of the Readiness Goal. Atlanta, GA: SREB, 1994.

This document offers advice for teachers and administrators to help them get ready for

children. Topics include curriculum and assessment, exclusion and retention, and parent

involvement. Examples of successful projects are highlighted. To order a copy, write: SREB,

592 Tenth Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30318-5790.

Stief, Elizabeth. Transitions to School. Washington, DC: National Governors Association, 1994.

This publication summarizes the need for transition activities; gives examples of state and

local transition initiatives; and makes recommendations for future federal, state, and local

transition assistance. To order a copy, call: 1-301-498-3738.

144 Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

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Resources

Three Feathers Associates and Oneida Transition Project. Building Bridges between

Head Start and Kindergarten. Norman, OK: Three Feathers Associates.

This twenty-two-minute videotape illustrates a model for facilitating continuity between

settings by networking and collaborating. It provides an overview of effective transition

practices and specific strategies that programs can implement. For additional information,

call 1-405-360-2919.

Washington, Valora, Valerie Johnson, and Janet Brown McCracken. Grassroots

Success! Preparing Schools and Families for Each Other. National Association for the

Education of Young Children, 1995.

This publication describes twenty W.K. Kellogg Foundation School Readiness Initiatives

around the nation. It also suggests how schools can build partnerships with families and

communities. Contact names and phone numbers are included. To order a copy, call:

1-800-424-2460.

Wolery, Mark and Jan S. Wilbers, eds. Including Children with Special Needs in Early

Childhood Programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of

Young Children, 1994.

This book offers a review of current research and concrete suggestions for including children

with special needs in early childhood programs. Chapters helpful to transition planners

include Working with Families of Children with Special Needs, Completing the Circle:

Planning and Implementing Transitions to Other Programs, and Working with Members of

Other Disciplines: Collaborations for Success. To order a copy, call: 1-800-424-2460.

Wood, Chip. Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom, Ages 4-12. Greenfield, MA:

Northeast Foundation for Children, 1994.

This book offers a comprehensive guide to child development. After a general introduction,

each chapter covers a different age group, describes their developmental characteristics, and

explains how the classroom environment can enhance their development. To order a copy,

call: 1-800-360-6332.

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