If any of us stops to think about major changes in our lives - moving house, getting a new job, having a baby or seeing a young person grow up - waves of mixed hope, fear, optimism and apprehension will probably follow. Yet this can only give us a little bit of insight into what change is like for children, who have so much less experience than us, and so much less say in what happens. We cannot properly understand what fourand five-year-olds experience as big transitions loom, come and go.
Early years practitioners tend to help children prepare for certain aspects of the changes to come, and give much less attention to others. Typically, a lot of emphasis is put on providing for the child's emotional and social well-being. But I wonder whether we think enough about consistent and continuing support for each child's development and learning? Having interesting and challenging activities, and the satisfaction of making progress, can help children a great deal as they settle into a new class.
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