HOW TO ENRICH MY CHILD’S
LIFE FOR TRANSITION TO
PRIMARY SCHOOL
SWATI POPAT VATS
A Thought that inspires the Journey of
Parenting:
If I had my child, to raise all over again, I’d finger
paint more and point the finger less.
I’d
do less correcting and more connecting.
I’d
take my eyes off the watch and watch with my
eyes.
I
would care to know less and know to care more.
I
would be firm less often and affirm much more.
I
would build self-esteem first and the house
later….
AS YOUR CHILD TRANSITS TO HIGH
SCHOOL HE WILL NEED AND DEPEND
ON THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS OF
THE PREFRONTOL LOBE IN THE
BRAIN
What are you doing to help it
develop?
Enrich your child’s life by
ensuring that the child can use
the executive functions of the
brain……which are these
functions?
The executive functions of the brain
Focus And Self Control
 Perspective Taking
 Communication
 Cognitive flexibility
 Inhibition
 Ability to defer gratification
 Estimating time
 Working memory
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Promote communication
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Learn to identify ways to
communicate with your kids
Don’t drone
Have eye contact
Understand ‘hovering’
Understand ‘pull for attention’
Pay attention
Ask specific queries
Promote Focus
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Play Games That Require Children To Pay
Attention.
I spy
Puzzles
Red light – green light
Musical chairs
Bell game
Promote Cognitive Flexibility
 Have
Children Play Sorting Games With
Changing Rules.
 Encourage Children To Pretend And To
Make Up Pretend Stories.
 Give Children Puzzles.
Promote Working Memory
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Play Games That Have Rules.
Have Children Make Plans, Follow The
Plans, And Then Discuss What They
Accomplished.
Promote Inhibitory ControlPlay Games Where Children Can’t Go On
Automatic Pilot.
 Peg-Tapping Game. In the Peg-tapping game,
children are supposed to do the opposite of
what you do.
 Day-Night Task. When shown a picture of a
black background with a yellow moon and
stars, children are supposed to say ‘day’ etc.
 “Simon Says, Do the Opposite.”
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Promote Inhibitory Control Select
Computer Games Carefully.
 Hearts and flowers
 Flanker tasks, such as Feed the Fish.
incorporates a technique called the
Eriksen flanker task. There’s a big fish in
the middle of the computer screen. The
task is to feed this fish. If the fish is
pointing right, children need to press the
right-hand button to feed the fish etc.
Promote Perspective taking
 Why
is it important in children?
 Helps make sense of own and others
experiences
 Better adjustment to school
 Helps them understand what teachers
want and expect.
 Helps in learning to read
Games for perspective taking
 Role
play games
 Drama
 Play
games of changing roles
Attention Deficit Disorders And
Executive Functions Of The Brain
There are three kinds of ADHD—
attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder
1. There’s ADHD of the hyperactive
type;
2. There’s ADHD of the inattentive
type;
3. And there’s a combined type of
ADHD.
Attention Deficit Disorders And
Executive Functions Of The Brain
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Inhibition: is the ability to avoid distractions and stop themselves
. This can be tested by a ‘stop task,’
Children with ADHD are most likely to need the stop signal to occur
earlier in the process for them to be able to stop themselves.
Ability to defer gratification:
Children with ADHD may be more likely to choose an immediate
reward over a reward that will happen later, even when the delayed
reward is a bigger or better reward.
Estimating time:
People of all ages with ADHD are likely to be less accurate in
estimating how long things will take.
Working memory:
Children who have the inattentive form of ADHD have a harder time
holding different things in their memory at the same time.
What makes children
misbehave?
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Embarrassment.
Overbearing and insensitive adult
Unrealistic deadlines.
Family argument prior to school.
Bully in school/bus/play area.
Impatient adult
Inability to complete a task that is too
difficult.
The transition to primary school
 Transitions
tend to be some of the most
difficult and stressful moments in the life of
a child. At these times teachers and
parents often find themselves dealing with
more challenging behaviors and feeling
more like police officers than nurturing
caregivers.
'six steps to conflict resolution'
1. Approach
the situation calmly
2. Recognize the children’s feelings
3. Gather information and restate the problem
4. Ask for ideas / solutions
5. Retell any suggested solution
6. Support children to act oh their decision
What is an effective transition?
Effective transition is when children…….
 Understand ‘what is coming’ ahead of time.
 Have some experience of the new environment and the
people in it.
 Feel safe, secure and valued in their new school.
 Know that staff at school will listen to them and respect
what they say
 Understand what is expected of them (learning behavior)
in school
 Know what they should/shouldn’t bring into school.
 Enjoy the experience of moving to the ‘big school’.
 Feel that they have a measure of control over the
process
Why do problems arise
with transition?
Problems can occur during
transition for a variety of reasons :
For instance:

The children might be unsettled or upset about the move
from one setting to another.
 The children may have developed very close
relationships with both staff and children in Jumbo Kids.
They will miss them!
 There’s a very different ratio of adults to children in a
primary class than there is in an Early years setting,
meaning it is almost impossible for the children to get as
much individual adult attention.
 Behaviour issues may surface, particularly in those
children who are confused by the change.
 Progress in learning and development can slow down
while the child adapts to the school setting.
 children will have to depend on their independent skills
for accessing toilet, looking after their bags and
themselves.
 There will be a jump in the learning content in the
primary years
How will we help your child?
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Your child will visit a primary classroom in the
next month
Teachers will talk to them and help them
become independent
Children will continue with three line format in
standard one and two
Primary teachers will come to observe Sr.kg
class
More emphasis on Copying from the blackboard
and reading in sr.kg
More worksheets in the first few months in
primary
In everything you do as a
parent, remember that
……..
Only you can enrich your child’s
journey to primary school. All the best.
swatipopat@podar.net