Bridging Early Educational Transitions in Learning Through Children's Agency

A longitudinal study of continuity and progression in children's early education reported the significance of the transition from preschool to elementary education for later school success. It was found that the nature of this particular transition is influential for children, parents and educators and therefore for the educational system. An ecological framework was used in order to embrace the complex nature of educational transitions. Educators in 8 preschool and 4 primary school settings, and their managers, were interviewed to explore beliefs about early education. The same educators were observed as the 28 focus children in a cohort of 150 children were tracked during their final year before school and their first year of school, and their written documentation including planning and reports were scrutinised. It was found that despite the similar language used by early educators in early years preschool and primary settings to describe their intentions and motivations for children, there can be major discontinuities between settings, relationships, pedagogy and curriculum and that consequently there are increased challenges for children and for their parents and educators. It is proposed that educators need to collaborate more and to move on from a shared use of terminology to shared meanings, in order to develop a shared conceptual framework which attends to cognitive, social and emotional aspects of children's learning in transition. Certain measurable elements of school progress were noted as part of the local authority's value-added record keeping and it has been possible to make links between educational attainment and other variables. The cohort of children is now entering the last year of primary school education and a number of focus children will now be involved in a study of their transition to secondary education

Bridging children's early education transitions through parental agency and inclusion

Studies of transitions in the early years have tended to focus more on the institutional experience and on reporting the views teachers and parents hold of the experience of children, in order to ease the transition, than on how parents themselves experience the transition process. The present paper focuses on the ways in which parents experience their children’s transition from pre-school to primary education in order to identify ways in which their inclusion in this process might enhance their children’s experiences. The paper draws on a longitudinal study of early years transitions undertaken in one local authority in Scotland. The study involved classroom observations, child, parent and teacher interviews, video analysis of classroom discourse, tracking of school approaches to transition as well as interpretation of classroom record keeping, transition records, school reports and curriculum documentation. In particular this paper uses data from the tracking of school approaches and from semi- structured interviews held in the parents own homes. The data were interpreted through SPSS and through NUD*IST(QSR, 1991-2000), so as to capture the statistical as well as the interpretative nature of the responses. It is concluded that early childhood transitions are in fact also family transitions as the family experiences shifts in the child’s identity in preparation for, and on becoming a school pupil, in the child’s status, and in their own roles in their child’s life. There is evidence that educationally active parents enhance their child’s transition to school and support children in the emotional/social and cognitive challenges they face. The implications such findings hold for policy change are considered

A view from Scotland : early years policy in the four nations: common challenges, diverse solutions

This paper focuses on the workforce in Scotland and attempts to offer some solutions to the challenges that surface in any reflection on the early years workforce not only in our four nations but globally

Aspirations and actions : early childhood from policy to practice in Scotland

This paper explores early childhood experience in Scotland in terms of how readily the aspirations of policy convert to day-to-day practices. Ambitions to improve the lives of children and families have been high on the political agenda. Policy may be understood as a tool that aims to influence childhood experience in positive ways. If this is to be so, then the processes that effect change and their limitations need to be understood better, as do the underpinning values and assumptions. The workforce is at the heart of the endeavour to put policy aspirations into action: they are considered to be agents of change. In exploring such issues this paper draws on a policy-based functional analysis of the children's workforce [Dunlop, A.-W., L. Seagraves, S. Henderson, J. Henry, J. Martlew, and J. Fee. 2011. A Policy-Based Functional Analysis of the Children's Workforce. For Scottish Government: Children and Young People Social Care Directorate, Workforce and Capacity Issues Division] and on policy developments since. The paper therefore discusses Scottish policy aspirations for young children and their families, the contribution of the workforce to achieving those aspirations and asks if staff competence in itself is sufficient to ensure policy delivery for all in a climate where child poverty continues to contribute to unequal lives

Moving in, on, up and out : successful transitions

This chapter considers transition to school as a joint enterprise shared by the teacher, children and parents. School start is no longer the first educational transition children experience: taking account of the variety of experiences, people and environments children will have already encountered, means effective communication between all involved. Two illustrative cameos highlight similarities and differences between children’s early childhood journeys and consider implications for each of the transitions they make. A case is made for the usefulness of theories as tools to help this transitions process, bringing a particular focus to children's agency, parental engagement and teacher collaboration

Positive behaviour in the early years : perceptions of staff, service providers and parents in managing and promoting positive behaviour in early years and early primary settings

The full report of research into positive behaviour in the early years: perceptions of staff, service providers and parents in managing and promoting positive behaviour in early years and early primary settings

On the margins, getting by, persevering, or flying high? The intersection of wellbeing, attainment, and transitions in a Scottish longitudinal study

This paper draws on a Scottish longitudinal study. It focuses on the variability of a sample of focal children's wellbeing and attainment trajectories on the journey through education from the age of 3 to school leaving at 16–18 years old in one Scottish Council area, in order to respond to the question What aspects of the intersection of wellbeing, attainment, and school transitions help to explain school leaving outcomes? The relationships between wellbeing and attainment either side of primary and secondary school start are explored and the ways these may link to transition experiences and educational outcomes at school leaving are raised. A new interpretation of Bronfenbrenner's "mature" bioecological system model which considers person, processes and educational contexts over time frames the methodology, methods and findings of a data rich exploratory-interpretive longitudinal study and discusses their relationship to current dilemmas surrounding educational outcomes in Scotland at the present time. The role of wellbeing and attainment measures as proxies for school success is considered and found to be too narrow a concept in the form experienced by the focal group of study participants. While wellbeing needs to be much more clearly defined and fostered, concepts of attainment predicated only on maths and literacy (and on some measures, science) are found to be insufficient in that they may discriminate against too many. Attention to the opportunities offered and risks inherent in periods of educational transition allow identification of, and reflection upon the qualities of a good educational transition from both early childhood education to school start, and subsequently in the move to secondary education. It is found that a "good transition" though it exists, is not available to all children: consequently more equitable approaches are advocated, and alternatives for practical and policy action are proposed. Study of educational transitions dates back fifty years: is it not time for systems themselves to change

Transitions in early childhood education

Transitions are ubiquitous: they start as our lives begin and we all experience them as we travel the life-course. In the context of early childhood (UN Convention on the Rights of the Children, UNCRC: 0–8) the single transition that has attracted the most attention has been the transition to school. In today’s society children have often experienced many changes before reaching this moment of school start: in educational and academic circles these changes are often described as transitions and so it is essential that the term “transition” is defined. The child does not function in isolation from family or community and models held of children influence approaches to their early learning and childcare. It is therefore important to address the nature of transition and the ways in which transitions in life may affect transitions in early childhood education and vice-versa. A range of issues challenges definition of transition: it is suggested here that these issues have become more complex over the historical time in which transitions have been studied. It may be argued that there has been considerable consensus over the years about what may matter in early childhood educational transitions, but this is no longer without debate or challenge. The contested issues are frequently presented in a dichotomous way. Transitions may be single or multiple; continuous or discontinuous; suggest readiness or lack of it; highlight resilience or vulnerability; imply agency or lack of control; be visible or silenced; rest on a developmental or a sociocultural model; may infer that the child should be the site of change or conversely that the system should change to accommodate the child. Multiple perspectives are called for as the child in transition is variously understood in the context of family, relationships, identities, culture, services, and community. For a considerable time Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was the most commonly invoked conceptual framework for the study of transitions in early education. Now other theoretical sources are being used: researchers draw on, for example, anthropology, educational theory, creativity, philosophy, and psychology and consequently new approaches and paradigms are developing. Transition in early childhood education has become a field of study in its own right. Findings of transition studies argue for acknowledgement of young children’s experience before, during, and after any time of transition and illustrate the many ways in which current systems shape children’s experiences. The understanding generated by research into early childhood educational transitions and the processes involved, must reach into policy and practices: a job done very well by many of the authors cited in this article

Live arts/arts alive : starcatchers research report 2011

Starcatchers is an innovative project which works in partnership with artists, arts venues child-care settings and families to experiment artistically with audiences of very young children, to encourage their participation and to develop exciting, inspiring performing arts experiences for children aged 0-4. Four artists in residence have worked for a year in a theatre venue in Scotland to engage children and families in a range of arts related performance experiences. Four accompanying researchers were each attached to one venue and have collaborated with the artists to observe children’s engagement, provide feedback, discuss ongoing work, and record the processes of project development. This report presents the findings from the analysis of the wide range of data collected and it suggests a number of conclusions and recommendations about developing the arts with very young children

The Autism Toolbox : An Autism Resource for Scottish Schools

The Autism Toolbox will draw upon a range of practice experience, literature and research to offer guidance for authorities and schools providing for children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)