Virginia Head Start Annual Conference
The Wonderful World of
Transitioning: Home to
Center
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INTRODUCTION &AGENDA
LaNeen Sample
Education Services Specialist
Stephanie Turner
Classroom Support Coordinator
Introduction and Warm-up
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What does transitioning really
mean?
Linking schools, families, child care
providers, early childhood educators
and community based partners in
support successful transitions of
children into Early Head Start, Early
Head Start and public schools.
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Assessing the Needs
• Very few schools/Head Starts have
transition plans linking home to Head
Start/school
• Many families don’t feel connected to
the school or program prior to the
child’s entry.
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Outcomes from Assessing
Parental School Readiness
Needs
– Parents didn’t know what will be expected of their
children
– Child care providers varied widely in their
understanding of Head Start/School expectations
– Schools were not in contact with child care/Head
Start providers or parents prior to kindergarten
registration
– Head Start and Early Head Start Programs
offered limited information about Head Start
Programming that they provided
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Critical Action
• Attention to community needs
– Parent involvement with the Head
Start/school; improves academic success
– Building relationships with parents and
teachers is key to smooth home to school
transitions
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Key Goals & Objectives
Goal: To improve school readiness and support
successful transition of children and their
families is to:
• Objectives:
1. Fostering communication, building
relationships among families, caregivers
Head Start and schools that promote
successful transitions
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Key Goals & Objectives
2. Working to align-or match up-children’s
learning and development experiences
among home, early education and child
care and school to boost children’s
confidence and learning
3. Implementing strategies to enhance early
literacy and reduce nonacademic barriers
to early learning (e.g. language and
interpretation/translation for families most
at risk
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School Transition Team Structure
• Neighborhood representation: the one school
leader representative (principal or assistant
principal) in addition to a kindergarten
teacher (stipend provided) from one of the
elementary schools
– Two early care/education
teachers/providers from Head Start or
Early Head Start
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School Transition Team
Structure
– Two parent “community ambassadors’
representing communities whose children
are getting left behind, who will both
participate in the Team and serve as a
liaison to their community
– Four representatives from community
organizations (public library, family support
services, faith-based groups, etc.) and/or
informal community leaders
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Getting School Ready
Neighborhood School Transition
Team Results
•
GSR Teams developed a “Getting School
Ready Connections” is an outreach model
that documents effective ways to reach and
communicate with the community’s families,
licensed and informal caregivers,
community agencies and teachers.
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Children with Special Needs
Home-School Transition
Case Study
• How might we plan for home to school
transitions for children with unique and
special needs?
• How would you partner with parents?
• What would you learn from parents?
• Who needs to be involved?
• Who Needs to be informed?
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What We Can Do!
1. Acknowledge the information gap between schools,
families, and childcare providers.
2. Increased outreach to families of young children
3. Provide early learning activities for families and childcare
providers before services begin
4. Receive insight into incoming student demographics and
skill level.
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What We Can Do!
• Increased parent’s understanding of
early learning and school readiness.
• Provide a parent/ family friendly
connection with school and teachers.
• Support parents obtaining simple,
everyday ways to promote early
childhood literacy and help prepare their
child for Head Start/school.
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How Do We Do This?
• Training and technical assistance.
• Collaboration and joint training with schools
and Head Starts
• Collaboration local Interagency Coordinating
Councils
• Anyone interested in early learning and
development
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INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES
Infants Activities
• Activity: Where is the Sound?
• Materials: Toys/objects that make different sounds
• Objective: This activity will help baby develop auditory
tracking skills and develop head and neck control.
• Activity: Handy Clap
• Materials: Baby in sitting or lying position
• Objective: This activity will help the baby develop
eye/hand coordination while increasing a sense of trust
and attachment.
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Toddlers Activities
• Activity: Color Sorting
• Materials: Colored Blocks/Cubes, Large Legos
• Objective: This activity will help children learn about
matching and sorting colors while engaging in positive
social interaction.
• Activity: Building It
• Materials: Building Blocks, Large Lego Blocks
• Objective: This activity will help young children learn
cooperative play and help them develop compassion, or
understanding of how others feel.
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Preschool Activities
• Activity: Color, Sizes and Shapes Activities and Games
• Materials: Assorted Shapes and Games
• Objective: This activity will help young children with
recognition of color, shape, size and Language
Development.
• Activity: Number and Counting Activity
• Materials: Assorted Items
• Objective: This activity will help the young children with
creative number usage.
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Thank You!
LaNeen Sample
Education Services Specialist
Stephanie Turner
Classroom Support Coordinator
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