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| In
the Classroom: Learning to Make Smooth Transitions
An important task for preschool and kindergarten teachers is to help children move from one activity to another without letting them become confused, bored, or frustrated. According to the Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, preparing smooth transitions between activities not only keeps students engaged in the lessons of the day, but also helps students become independent and responsible. For children, doing what they "must" or "should", rather than what they "feel" or "want to", is an important lesson to learn during the early years of their education. Essentially, teachers should keep in mind the following techniques for use in the classroom and in planning their curriculum: . Announce or signal to the children that the class will be moving on to another lesson or activity. Announcements can begin with phrases like "five minutes until.", while signals can include showing a picture of the next activity. . Include enough time in the daily schedule for transitions between activities. . Be prepared to accommodate the individual needs of children that may require more time than others (i.e. children with learning disabilities or new English language learners). . Help children become more independent by allowing them to move from one activity to another on their own as well as encouraging them to assist each other in completing and moving on to another activity. . Acknowledge a child's efforts to contribute to making smooth transitions. An example of this can include, "Kim and Alex did a great job in picking up and putting away the building blocks." Source: Ostrosky, M. M., Jung, E. Y., and Hemmeter M. L. Helping Children Make Transitions between Activities http://csefel.uiuc.edu/briefs/wwb4.html Editor's note: This url has changed:http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/briefs/wwb4.html Facts in Action, July 2004 |
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