Entering the world of early childhood education can be both an exciting and apprehensive experience for young children and their families. It marks the beginning of a new chapter, filled with opportunities for development, learning, and socialising with peers.
As an early education provider, Imagine Childcare plays a crucial role in ensuring that this transition is as smooth as possible, providing a supportive environment for both children and their parents.
In this blog, we will explore the ways in which our Imagine Childcare centres assist new children and families to settle into care, transition to new classrooms and graduate to a formal school environment.
Supporting New Families
First and foremost, it is important to create a welcoming atmosphere for both children and parents right from the get go! Most parents will bring their children with them when they take an initial tour of the centre to see if our centre is the right fit for them.
This is something we definitely encourage at Imagine Childcare, so the entire family can meet the team and the children can experience the wonderful facilities we have available for them. This also assists with the transition process as they can start to be excited about where they will be attending and if they are old enough, can even be part of the decision-making process.
Consistency is key for young children. This is why our long day care centres adhere to structured daily routines that include mealtimes, nap schedules, and play activities. Knowing what to expect provides a sense of security for children, helping them settle into the new environment more comfortably. This predictability fosters a sense of stability, which is crucial for early childhood development.
As part of our enrolment process, and to ensure our new families become familiar with our Educators, facilities and routines, we book ‘Meet & Greets’ for our families. These ‘Meet & Greets’ are also known as ‘Stay & Plays’ and this initial connection is a great way to help build trust and establishes a positive foundation for the child’s experience.
Families are invited to attend 1-3 ‘Meet & Greets’ at our Imagine Childcare centres prior to their first day of care, however they can have as many as they need to build that important connection between Educator and child. It is important they feel safe and familiar in their new environments before they officially start care.
At Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Rochedale South, they use the meet and greets to also learn as much as possible about the child.
“We use our meet and greets as an opportunity to learn as much as possible about the child before they start with us. Through a discovery process, we find out their interests and favourite things. Then on the first day of care we will have these experiences set up and ready for them. I find it is this extra touch can make a real difference to a child’s first day,’ says Centre Director Sophie Meyer from Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Rochedale South.
Children thrive in environments that feel safe and familiar. Imagine Childcare centres are carefully designed to be child-friendly, with colourful decorations, age-appropriate resources, and designated areas for various activities. Creating an environment that mirrors the comforts of home helps children feel at ease and more willing to explore their new surroundings.
To best support parents, effective communication between our childcare centres and parents is essential. Regular updates, whether through daily reports or informal conversations, keep parents informed about their child’s experiences, milestones, and any concerns. This transparent communication helps parents feel involved in their child’s daily life at the centre, easing any anxieties they may have.
‘We ring parents on the first day of care to give them an update on how their little one is going. Communication is an important tool to alleviating any anxiety parents may be feeling and building trust with our parents is just as important as building a bond with the children,’ continued Sophie.
At Imagine Childcare we provide families with a parent communication mobile app called Kindyhub. The app allows you to share in your child’s learning journey, including providing daily photos, stories and achievements and is a valuable tool for us to support parents.
Transitioning to a New Classroom
This is the key time of year when children begin transitioning to their new classrooms. Children who have completed the Kindergarten or Preschool Program will be starting primary school in January or February and so many children will move up to their new classroom as space becomes available.
At Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Rochedale South, they have children ‘visit’ their new classroom a minimum of 3 times so that can become familiar with their new classroom, Educators and routine.
‘Transitioning children to a new classroom all starts with a conversation with the parent, followed by a minimum of three transition visits to the new classroom. Their current Educator will go with them during the initial visits to help make the process as smooth as possible. They will spend a little longer time in the new classroom each visit, before eventually spending the entire day there. We find this gradual process really works best,’ says Centre Director Sophie Meyer.
Knowing what to expect provides a sense of security for children, helping them settle into the new environment more comfortably. This predictability fosters a sense of stability, which is crucial for early childhood development.
Preparing for Formal School
Knowing what to expect in the school environment helps children to make a smooth transition, and preparing children for this needs to begin long before their first day of school.
Our school readiness programs (Kindergarten or Preschool depending on which state you live in), equips children with the skills needed to transition to a formal school environment. However, at Imagine Childcare our aim is to also ensure they are well prepared for their onward learning journey into a formalised school setting.
As part of our programs, Teachers will coordinate several visits to local schools across the year to support the children’s transition to school process.
Sophie Meyer from Imagine Childcare and Kindergarten Rochedale South takes this to the next level, by attending neighbourhood networking meetings; inviting local school representatives to visit the centre; and organising lunch box lunches and ‘uniform days’.
‘For the last 8 weeks of term we do lunch box lunches which are supplied by the centre. This helps the children become familiar with opening a lunch box packed lunch. We also have ‘uniform days’ so the children can adjust to wearing school uniforms too,’ said Sophie.
At all our Imagine Childcare centres, a formal discussion towards the end of the year is scheduled to share information with parents and Teachers and support each child’s transition to school. This discussion provides an opportunity for parents and other partners to collaboratively create a summary of a child’s learning in the form of a transition statement.
Celebrating with a Graduation Ceremony at the end of the year is also an important part of supporting children to transition to school at Imagine Childcare. A graduation event can help ease the transition to big school, by showing children that it is exciting that they are moving on and there are more thrilling things to come. Above all, it allows children to feel proud for all they have achieved while they have been at Preschool or Kindergarten.
Imagine Childcare plays a pivotal role in helping new children settle into care by creating welcoming environments, establishing consistent routines, encouraging socialisation, maintaining open communication with parents, providing individualised attention, and offering transition support. Through these thoughtful practices, our long day care centres contribute to the positive development and well-being of the children in their care, fostering a foundation for future learning and growth.
Are you looking to start your child in care this year? We are still accepting enrolments for 2024, so book a tour at your closed Imagine Childcare centre and start your transition journey today! Call 1300 001 154 to book.