Helping Early Learners Transition to Kindergarten

| By: Committee for Children

The beginning of a new school year creates much anticipation for children. This exciting time of year is especially tumultuous for early learners transitioning to kindergarten. Some brand-new kindergartners will experience their first longer school day, and all will enter a new classroom environment with new rules and expectations. Committee for Children’s Second Step programs for early learning and for kindergarten acknowledge the significance of this transition and the importance of building new relationships in the kindergarten classroom with both students and caregivers. Here are some ways to use your program to help students during this time of change.

Classroom Climate and Appearance

Kindergarten teachers can create a welcoming classroom environment by posting Second Step posters and lesson-card photos around the room as an introduction to the skills and concepts their students will be learning throughout the year. Singing songs from the Sing Out Loud music CD can be a fun way for students to work as a group and is a comforting activity for former Second Step early learners, who will recognize song themes about identifying feelings and using problem solving skills. Using Second Step language and modeling skills consistently from the beginning of the school year will also help familiarize your students and their families with the next developmental level of the program.

Connecting with Caregivers

The final unit of the early learning program specifically addresses scenarios and feelings new kindergartners might encounter, like riding the school bus and making new friends. The Home Links for that unit encourage parents and caregivers to help their children practice their new skills over the summer in preparation for kindergarten. At Back To School night, teachers can ask students and families to relate examples of how they practiced Second Step skills over the summer. Students who are new to the Second Step program might have positive stories about using social-emotional and self-regulation skills that also can be framed within the language and concepts of the program. Perhaps Joel practiced taking turns playing with a shovel and sand bucket while at the beach?  This is a fantastic example of Fair Ways to Play that other children can relate to.  In addition, the introductory kindergarten Family Letter introduces new families to the program and reassures parents and caregivers of former early learners that the skills their children started to learn last year will be reviewed and further developed. Remember that you can register your Second Step kit at www.secondstep.org to get family letters, easy-to-email Home Links, and other digital program resources.

Introducing and Reinforcing Second Step Skills

As kindergarten teachers prepare for Second Step implementation, many find it useful to make seating placemats with their students’ names for lesson time.  Former early learners who might be familiar with Second Step language can be seated alternately with students who are new to the program.  Students can also be paired this way when implementing teaching strategies such as Think, Turn, Tell, which is introduced in kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers can also continue using reinforcement strategies introduced in the early learning program. Early learning classroom teachers used the Think Ahead, Reinforce, and Think Back reinforcement model with students. This model is further developed at kindergarten in the Using Skills Every Day section found on both unit and Following Through cards. As always, identifying students who might need extra support and involving parent volunteers are additional ways of fostering a positive social-emotional learning environment for all students!