Effective Early Childhood Education (ECE) Transitions Are Critical
Finding and settling into an ECE environment is an experience that is daunting for both tamariki (children) and whanau (families); no matter whether your first child or your third.
‘The way transitions are experienced not only makes a difference to the children in the early months of a new situation, but may have a much longer-term impact, because the extent to which they feel successful (emotional and well-being) in the first transition is likely to influence subsequent experiences’ (Fabian & Dunlop, 2007, as cited by the Education Review Office [ERO], 2015).
Knowing how important it is to have a successful transition into centre life, we at Folkestone Street take our time to get it right.
There’s no rush, no hurry – you and your whanau are invited to take as long as you need to settle into this space. Although we have a minimum of three visits before children officially start, our whanau are welcome to visit as much as they like before they start, with most choosing to visit for a few weeks beforehand. The more visits you and your tamariki do, the easier the transition process is for you both, as you feel confident in your relationships with the people, places and things in this space, and are able to anticipate the rhythms of the day (Ministry of Education, 2017).
Our open door policy sets us apart, as it means that you’re welcome to pop in at any time and visit!
We want this to become an extension of your home, and thus, rely on your funds of knowledge to inform our practice (Hedges, Cooper & Weisz-Koves, 2019). You are the primary expert on your tamariki, and guide us on how best to care for them; from the way they like to settle to sleep, the temperature they like their bottle, to the quirks that make them quintessentially ‘them’ – we work together in partnership with whanau to make this as seamless a transition as possible.
Respectful, reciprocal relationships are at the heart of our practice, and you’ll find our warm and engaging kaiako easy to engage with.
Our small group sizes, low ratios, experienced and qualified teachers, and home-like setting (from a natural backyard to multiple sleep rooms!) will help you and your whanau to quickly feel comfortable in this space.
Welcome to Folkestone Street; welcome home.
Sitations;
Education Review Office [ERO]. (2015). Continuity of learning: transitions from early childhood services to schools. Retrieved from https://www.ero.govt.nz/…/ERO-Continuity-of-Learning…
Hedges, H., Cooper, M. & Weisz-Koves, T. (2019). Recognising and responding to family funds of knowledge. In S. Alocock & N. Stobbs (Eds.), Rethinking play as pedagogy. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=RuOLDwAAQBAJ&dq=funds+of+knowledge+ece&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Ministry of Education [MOE]. (2017). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum.
