While individual kindergarten teachers don’t have the authority that principals do to institute new school-wide programs to assist kindergarteners, teachers can exercise autonomy when it comes to gaining a better understanding of their incoming students’ previous educational experiences. ![]() These home visits are not only exciting for students, but also allow parents to talk with teachers in a setting that is comfortable to them and more conducive to establishing a positive relationship between parents and school staff right from the start. If time and funding permits, principals can also set aside some teacher development time to allow teachers to visit incoming kindergarten families at home. Principals can help make this happen by organizing activities, such as parent information sessions prior to the start of the school year, in which teachers meet with parents to help them gain a better understanding of the academic and social expectations of kindergarten, learn about the family, and understand parents’ goals for their children. A smooth transition not only means that students feel supported when beginning kindergarten, but also that parents feel welcomed and empowered with the knowledge necessary to help their child have a successful kindergarten year. Principals also have an important role to play when it comes to connecting with the parents of incoming kindergarteners, preferably well before the first day of the school year. Principals and directors can collaborate to allow time for kindergarten teachers to meet with the pre-K teachers to review children’s previous assessments, discuss curricular alignment, and discuss the skills that are most important for children to possess prior to kindergarten entry. Once principals know the providers in the area they can reach out to those providers and get a sense of which ones have children typically attending their school. Principals in any state, though, could take the initiative to reach out to their regional Child Care Aware offices for assistance in gaining a better understanding of the child care providers in their area. ![]() Principals receive a list of local child care providers and regional Child Care Aware offices provide follow-up resources to facilitate communication between the providers and principals. In Washington, principals are able to submit a data request to receive a report of licensed child care providers in their area. Perhaps most importantly, principals can make time and space for pre-K and K teachers when they are housed in the same building to plan together and share data on incoming children, and principals can connect with other early learning providers in the community who served students who will soon be entering elementary school. Leaders of elementary schools can do a number of things to help incoming kindergarteners and their families. What actions can individual principals and teachers take to ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten if they happen to work in a state and district that has not yet made a concerted effort to improve the transition? While states certainly have a role, most of the action around improving transitions is at the local level. In a recent report, I highlighted states taking steps to help smooth the transition into kindergarten and outlined actions all states should consider. Some of these incoming kindergarteners might have previously attended a pre-K program or Head Start program, but the majority will arrive with no prior school experience at all.īecause kindergarten is often the first school experience for many students, ensuring a smooth transition into the school year is essential for setting up children to succeed in both kindergarten and future grades. For many incoming kindergarteners, this will be the first time they’ve set foot inside a school building. ![]() Now that we’re in back to school season, educators across the country are preparing for the first day of school.
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