Kindergarten Information Night: Making a Smooth Transition to Elementary School

 

Kindergarten Information Night is held each year at Bing Nursery School to inform parents on how to support their child’s transition to kindergarten. On the evening of Jan. 17, a panel of experts spoke to parents about what to expect during this transition. The panel included Mary Bussmann, principal of Walter Hays Elementary School, Rick Lloyd, a pediatrician at Palo Alto Medical Foundation and four head teachers at Bing.

 

First, head teacher Adrienne Lomangino discussed the experiences of Bing alumni at the beginning of kindergarten, drawing insights from a recent survey that asked parents how their children felt about kindergarten before and after they started their programs. The survey, developed by Lomangino, included responses from the families of 86 alumni who began kindergarten in the fall of 2017. The survey provided information about experiences in 39 different kindergarten programs, both public (72 percent) and independent (28 percent).

 

The survey found that most of the children were enthusiastic about kindergarten from the start, and those who weren’t quickly adjusted. Before the children started kindergarten, 56 percent were excited about kindergarten, 20 percent were neutral–excited, 16 percent were neutral and 8 percent were somewhat reluctant or reluctant. A couple of months later, however, 65 percent of the children were excited to be in kindergarten, 27 percent were neutral–excited and just 3 percent were somewhat reluctant or reluctant.

 

Dr. Lloyd then addressed a question he commonly receives from parents of 5-year-old patients: What developmental milestones are typical of a 5-year-old? Lloyd started by explaining how children demonstrate more independence at this age with self-help skills, such as using the toilet, washing hands and putting on their clothes. Five-year-old children also become more expressive in their verbal communication as they start to understand what it means to be happy, sad, angry or afraid. Being able to effectively label their emotions improves their ability to question and negotiate with others. An “ethical sense” is also brewing at this age and children are in the beginning stages of distinguishing between right and wrong.

 

Next, Bussmann spoke about important values that public elementary schools strive to achieve. “Our focus in kindergarten is really about both academic and social development,” she noted. “We really care about students’ social interactions and being able to navigate their world in a respectful and confident way.” She emphasized the importance of children continuing to develop and use their voices to solve social conflicts. Bussmann assured parents that elementary schools would build on their child’s social and emotional abilities acquired from his or her time at Bing.

 

Academically, the Common Core State Standards are implemented throughout schools in California. Bussmann described the standards as a way for children to problem-solve and enhance their analytical skills in academic subjects like math, reading and writing. Along with a strong focus on academic subjects, Bussmann believes that play is still a vital part of a child’s life. “We do spend a lot of time playing, because play is very important—it is still valued in elementary schools,” she said.

 

Head teacher Peckie Peters also reassured parents that play is a fundamental part of a child’s learning. “What they are doing right now in their play… is preparing them for kindergarten,” she said. She believes that Bing provides children with the opportunity to play and learn from their peers, their teachers, and through a curriculum that is carefully designed in ways that are appropriate for their age and development.

 

An essential skill for children to practice before entering kindergarten is self-regulation. Head teacher Todd Erickson explained how Bing allows children to focus and regulate their impulses on a daily basis. Erickson believes that Bing strengthens self-regulation skills in children by giving them the freedom of choice to focus on self-directed activities for large expanses of time. Along with freedom and choice of activities, there are structured periods of the day, including 30 minutes of snack time and 15–20 minutes of story time. By engaging in structured and free-choice play throughout the day, children continually have opportunities to improve their self-regulation skills.

 

Head teacher Nandini Bhattacharjya provided parents with strategies to ease the transition. Bhattacharjya gave an example of her daughter’s experience: Her daughter did not always want to discuss her day at school. However, Bhattacharjya found it helpful to engage in dramatic play or role-playing with her daughter about what happened during her day. She would pretend to be a child in the classroom, while her daughter would play the teacher, and vice versa. Bhattacharjya said this type of role-playing can give parents insight into their children’s social, emotional and academic experiences at school.

 

Bhattacharjya also found it helpful to set aside quality time to connect with her child. She encouraged parents to talk to their children while getting them into bed—to have “cuddle time,” as children are often more willing to share stories and experiences at this time. This is a great way to gain more insight into children’s adjustment to kindergarten. At the end, she encouraged parents not to fear or rush the transition, emphasizing a child’s need for time to acclimate to new situations. “Once successful transitions are achieved, they are very rewarding,” she added.

 

The panel concluded the night by taking questions from the audience. A common question was how parents should choose between kindergarten, transitional kindergarten (for children whose 5th birthday falls on or after Sept. 2 through Dec. 2 of the school year), or a young 5’s program for their children. The panel strongly recommended that parents speak to their pediatrician to discuss their child’s development. Peters explained that every child is different, and the choices that parents make depend on who their child is as an individual. She said that it would also be helpful for parents to talk to the teacher with whom they have parent-teacher conferences to get a sense of how their child is doing developmentally in the Bing environment.