#2 Closing the GAP - transition into Primary School

I started my journey because I saw that there was a significant gap between the skills that the New Entrants have and the skills they needed to have to be successful in Level 1 of the curriculum. Many of the students entering my classroom didn’t have those fundamental foundational skills such as fine and gross motor skills, basic knowledge such as writing their name, recognising the letters in their name, rote counting and recognising numbers to 10, colours and shapes, also the correct pencil grip. The ability to manage themselves and low oral language - expressing themselves. These skills are extremely crucial when starting their school learning career. 

In my experience I also saw that the students have very different levels of skills when they start Primary school. Some of the students are just below, at the expected level and then also above the expected level. My critical thinking when I plan my lesson is to always keep in mind how I can cater for all their individual needs.

I have looked at the above mentioned struggles the past couple of weeks - keeping in mind that we had two Lockdowns and we just finished Week 5 with online learning - and discussing this with a very competent and knowledgeable AS CoL teacher in a North Shore Kāhui Ako, whose focus is also transition, I came to realise just how big this step is in our young learners’ lives! My focus initially was just on building a relationship with the teachers of our surrounding kindergartens and ECEs and the parents and how we will get them where they need to be academically BUT I now realise just how important the WELLBEING is of these students, parents and teachers alike. Collaboratively we have to make a plan to make this transition into primary school as smooth as possible. 

Research and findings from other blog posts:

1. Lady Eleanor Holles - Wellbeing

If we think back of our first days at school and how it felt, I can relate now to how these young learners must feel and the parents as well. We all cope in different ways and as a teacher, I have to accomodate all those emotions. Even though this reading is about transitioning into senior school - the fears and emotions are exactly the same and the ways we can make it smoother will be the same. 

• Looking at their friends that have already transitioned and getting them involved in visits to the “big” school. Making a school book and a video where they can “see” the school in action.

• Induction days where we as the junior school teachers visit the kindergartens to build relationships with the teachers and students and perhaps have a cup of coffee with parents.

2. Literature Review: Transition from Early Childhood Education to School Report to the Ministry of Education Sally Peters 

3. Children starting school: Research-based advice for teachers Dr Katrina McChesney and Associate Professor Jenny Ritchie

4. BEST EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS ON QUALITY TEACHING - EARLY FOUNDATIONS Dr Sarah Alexander 

5. Continuity of learning: transitions from early childhood services to schools
   

My next steps, that I will implement before the end of Term 1, are:

• Share ideas and to come up with a plan within our Junior Team(Y0-2) on how to make the transition easier for our students. What do we need from the ECE and kindergarten teachers? How can we communicate this to them? Building relationships with those teachers and working collaboratively on how to make the jump between pre school and primary school smaller.

• Share ideas and collaborate with our Manaiakalani schools - specifically the junior teachers

• We value our learner voice in our classes and my inquiry gives me the opportunity to work closely with the teachers and parents of those students that will join us. I will introduce a survey for the teachers and parents asking how they feel about the transition. This will be valuable to see how we can make sure that the students and the parents are ready for transition. 

• I also want to talk to the teachers and ask them what they feel is going well and then also where they would like to improve and really think critically how we as a new formed team make that happen.

• Lastly for this term I will work collaboratively with my syndicate finding ways to incorporate foundational skills into our daily learning within all the curriculum areas. We are working with RTLB colleagues who will also aid us in upskilling our teacher practice to really embed these foundational skills through the Ready Steady Programme that was originally developed by Jill Watson and Druinie Perera. It has been reviewed and revised by Jill Watson, Druinie Perera and Vaughan Spurdle.