The prospect of starting school is an exciting time for little people and their families. Many parents and carers search for opportunities to make the transition between pre-school and school as smooth as possible.

One method is to have your child participate in a transitional program. Not all services offer these programs and if there isn't a transitional program in your area don't worry, as there plenty of things you can do together with your child to prepare them for school. 

How do Transitional Programs work?

Transitional programs are designed to involve contact visits between teachers, parents and little people . Usually the program is facilitated by local schools and early childhood settings working together to introduce the little people to the skills they will need at school such as tying their shoe laces and going to the toilet unattended etc. 

Little people, with supervision, may visit the Primary school which they will be attending to see what school life is all about. Parents will be asked to assist with travel and supervision arrangements. 

Generally these programs commence before the child starts school and continues after they start school. If your little person has been in an early childhood setting for a period of time they often love to go and visit their old teachers and friends after they have started big school.

Remember that your early childhood centre may not offer a transitional program. If so it may be worthwhile having a chat with them to see if it's possible to organise a program.

Strategies to help your child feel familiar with school.

Allow time for your child to mix and observe the children in the playground.

Visit the toilet block, check out the hand washing procedure with your little person and familiarise them with what they need to do.

Pack their lunch and visit the school. Try and time one of your visits at lunchtime so your little person can have lunch with the other children.

Encourage conversation about your little persons visit to school.

Visit the school canteen.

Schoolteachers will often have some work for little people to do in the classroom.

Little people who have attended any form of children's services prior to big school will experience differences. School differs in many ways. There are fewer adults and more children, class sizes are bigger, with limited space, due to tables and chairs. The size of the school buildings, and grounds and there are large numbers of noisy children.

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