Transition Practices in Early Childhood Education

Transition practices in early childhood education encompass the policies, routines and interactions designed to support young children as they move between settings, stages or contexts of learning. These practices address not only academic preparation but also social, emotional and cultural adaptation, recognising that successful transitions lay the foundation for long-term educational trajectories. Central features include collaborative planning between early years and primary professionals, systematic information sharing about each child’s strengths and needs, and tailored activities such as school visits, introductory workshops and parent-teacher meetings. Underpinned by ecological systems theory, effective transition programmes engage families as partners, promote continuity of pedagogy and create inclusive environments that respond to diverse learner profiles. Across different regions, there is increasing attention to adaptivity—designing flexible approaches that can be modulated in response to individual differences, linguistic backgrounds and neurodevelopmental needs. Despite consensus on the importance of transitions, challenges persist in under-resourced settings, where disparities in access to information, cultural mismatches and limited training for practitioners can impede a smooth transfer. Ongoing research continues to illuminate how evidence-based strategies, co-constructed with key stakeholders, can mitigate anxiety, foster a sense of belonging and enhance children’s readiness for formal schooling, ultimately supporting equity and lifelong learning.

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Transition Practices in Early Childhood Education publication trend

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Technical terms

Transition practices: Structured activities and strategies implemented by educators, families and institutions to support children’s movement from one educational setting to another.

School readiness: A multidimensional construct encompassing the cognitive, social and emotional skills that children need to adapt successfully to formal schooling.

Ecological systems theory: A model describing how children’s development is shaped by interactions between multiple environmental layers, from immediate family and school contexts to broader cultural influences.

Adaptivity: The capacity of individuals, processes and structures to adjust flexibly to the diverse needs of children during educational transitions.

References

1. Review on Research Methods for Studying Transition from Early Childhood Education to Primary Education. Education Sciences (2023).
2. Adaptivity in the inclusive transition to school. Frontiers in Education (2024).
3. Transition to Kindergarten for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Perspectives of Korean–American Parents. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2022).