Last-minute preparations for end-of-term activities and the start of the summer holidays will be uppermost in early years practitioners' minds at the moment, but don't forget to lay plans for next term's newcomers.
All children need the reassurance that they will be offered the same sympathetic treatment and be welcomed at a new nursery or school. To provide this any nursery needs to plan a good settling-in procedure.
Most children are very adaptable and will cope well with a new environment if the transition to nursery is handled gently and skilfully, and the newcomers are made to feel valued as individuals as well as group members.
Involve parents
1 Invite parents to send in photographs of the children. For example, fix them on their coat pegs with their names, or mount them on card and laminate them so that the children can attach them to a board to show they are present for the session. Also use the photos on the front of their individual files. (It may be simpler to organise if, next time, you take photographs of the children, with their parents' permission, on their initial visit to your nursery.)
2 Invite parents to send in some of their child's drawings or paintings shortly before the start of term and use these to make a display. This request will encourage the parents to feel involved in preparing their children for nursery, and of course it will be exciting for the children to see their own work on display as they walk in on their first day.
Settling-in checklist
3 Make sure that each child has his/her own named peg for their coat and belongings.
4 Give each child a labelled drawer for their drawings and precious things from home.
5 Teach the children how to use the toilets and wash basins, encouraging them to develop independence and self-care skills.
6 Remind the children frequently how the daily routine is organised so that they can begin to anticipate what will happen next and understand what is expected of them.
7 Ensure that all the staff behave in a consistent manner with the children in order to help them to feel secure and safe.
8 Welcome children into the nursery, pronouncing their names correctly.
9 Ensure that adults present good role models for the children to imitate.
10 Plan the environment to help the children to feel part of their new class.
11 Provide equipment and resources which are well organised and accessible to the children, so that they can quickly learn to respect them and look after them, as well as make choices from them during the day.
12 Introduce new children to the group, encouraging the older children to help you look after them as they settle in.
Individual badges
1 Let the children wear badges for the first few days, as children settling in often feel left out because they do not know any other children or their names. This will not only help the adults to remember everyone's name, it will also help the children to feel part of a distinct group.
2 Use sticky labels which the children can decorate with felt-tip pens and then write their first names clearly. Replace them daily if they get crumpled or left in the wash. Adults too should wear these badges. The children will become accustomed to everyone's name and their initial letters.
Nursery rotas
1Put up a rota to show whose turn it is to feed the fish or water the plants. This will help children feel that they can all contribute to the maintenance of the nursery.
2 Similarly, write rotas for setting the tables for lunch, sweeping the floor, mixing the paints and washing the paint pots. Children love to take part in these activities and to anticipate when it is their turn by looking for their name on the list. It also ensures that they can all learn the skills involved in each of the jobs. Young children do see these activities as challenging responsibilities to be enjoyed in themselves. They are simple tasks which need to be introduced as fun. Generally, children like to feel that they are needed to perform responsible jobs in their small community.
Mini topic
Prepare a mini topic that will ease the settling-in process for newcomers to the school, such as one based on the book Something Else by Kathryn Cave and Chris Riddell (Picture Puffins, 4.99) (see page 20).