Back to School: Creating a Transition Plan for Children Attending Early Care, Pre

August 31, 2023

story by Claire Miller

For the youngest learners attending Pre-K programs and early care and education centers, the experience of going to a new space without their parents for the first time can be daunting.

“For children who are in this age group, it’s important to visit the program ahead of time at different times of day so they can see what the classrooms and routines look like, see other children and meet the teachers,” said Stacey French-Lee, clinical assistant professor and executive director of the College of Education & Human Development's Child Development Centers.

French-Lee and Tonia Durden, clinical professor and director of the college’s birth through five teacher education program, encourage parents to work with staff at the early learning program to develop a plan for transitioning their children from spending all their time at home to spending part of the day at an early care center.

For example, if parents have some flexibility in their schedules, they can start by dropping their child off at the center for an hour or two one day and stay close by, in case they need to return quickly. As the weeks go by, they can gradually extend their child’s time there until they’re comfortable going regularly.

It’s also important for parents to understand when their children move from one classroom to another. Unlike elementary school students who are assigned to one classroom for an entire academic year, children in early care centers can move to different classrooms throughout the year based on their age, developmental progression or the group of children who enrolled at the same time as they did, Durden explained.

This is where clear communication and ongoing partnerships between early care teachers and parents comes into play.

“Teachers need to learn about the children and families they’ll be working with. They can view this as a partnership with families because families are experts on their individual children,” French-Lee said. “From there, you can plan appropriately based on the needs of the children in your classroom.”

As early care teachers begin their back-to-school planning, French-Lee and Durden recommend they do an inventory of what they’ll need to support young children’s learning.

“Do an environmental checklist of the classroom – what are the things you’ll physically need? This work requires safe, responsive, child-centered materials and furniture,” Durden said. “Then ask yourself, ‘What do I need to do on the professional development side in order to meet our instructional objectives for the year?’ Identify early on what professional supports you may need and what instructional coaches or mentor teachers you can lean on if you have any questions about curriculum, instruction or assessment.”

Early care centers and Pre-K classrooms across the state follow the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards to ensure children develop in five different areas of learning.

Not only do the standards cover traditional academic subjects, such as cognitive development, language and literacy, but they also include other key developmental areas, such as social and emotional learning.

Early care teachers must also understand the difference between children developing skills at their own pace and identifying children who may have special needs or need special support.

For parents and early care professionals, back to school can be a time of excitement, joy, exploration, partnership development and commitment toward creating a dynamic year ahead for young learners.

“Kids are knowledgeable and curious and sometimes, we have to step back and allow them to lead,” Durden said. “We have in our minds all the early learning standards and developmental frameworks, but it’s also important to allow children the space to be curious and demonstrate their knowledge in multiple ways.”

Filed Under: Academic Unit News