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Early Years · Readiness Tracking
Staff Use Only
Early Years · Readiness Tracking
First Week of School — Transition & Adjustment Guide
School transition is a developmental process rather than a single event. Every child adjusts to a new environment at a different pace, depending on their temperament, previous experiences, developmental readiness, and relationship with their caregivers.
This guide isn't about eliminating children's emotions — it's about helping them build:
Children may cry, hesitate, or seek reassurance during the transition period. These behaviours are developmentally appropriate and should be met with patience, empathy, and consistent support rather than pressure.
To support a smoother transition, all families receive the First Day of School Welcome Book before the school year begins. Parents are encouraged to read and explore it together with their child several times beforehand — becoming familiar with the school environment, teachers, classroom routines, and daily schedule helps reduce uncertainty and prepares children emotionally for their new experience.
Teachers play an equally important role. Before children arrive, use the Environment Support ideas below to prepare a classroom that is welcoming, predictable, and emotionally safe. Simple supports — visual schedules, clearly defined learning areas, calming spaces, family photos, and engaging play invitations — help children feel secure and adjust more confidently.
A successful transition is strengthened through consistent collaboration between school and home. Communicate practical strategies that parents can continue at home, including a predictable goodbye routine (e.g., the Window Wave Routine) and the other Parent Support Strategies below. Consistency between home and school builds confidence, emotional security, and independence.
Teachers should also complete the Daily Progress Checklist throughout the transition period. It provides valuable information about each child's emotional adjustment, participation, and overall progress — helping you monitor development, identify children who may need extra support, and plan responsive strategies in partnership with families.
What teachers can do in their classroom
A dedicated de-escalation zone equipped with soft pillows, books on feelings, and emotion charts.
A physical timeline at eye level with clear pictures for daily milestones (arrival, snack, play, parent return) so children can track the day and predict transitions.
Pair an anxious child with a socially confident peer, or a specific adult, who greets them on arrival and leads them into low-pressure tabletop activities.
Structure low-stakes parallel play stations (playdough, beads, kinetic sand, sensory bins) ready for immediate engagement right next to the child at arrival.
Use a clear visual timer — an hourglass or sand timer — to define the transition period; the parent departs once the timer reaches zero.
Decorate the classroom with comforting, recognizable elements and warm colors to create an inviting, home-like environment.
Initiate warm physical contact while the parent stays within the child's eye-line, to support a smooth "safe base" co-regulation transfer.
A designated space at the back of the classroom where parents can shift into an observational role while the child navigates the transition.
Allow and accept transitional items — a family photo keychain, a "pocket hug" — without shaming the child for needing them.
Practical routines to share with families for home
A final boundary where the parent waves, blows kisses, or does a silly dance from an exterior window after exiting.
A tactile ritual where parents "load" the child's belly button with love by pressing it before drop-off.
Bringing a small blanket or an old t-shirt the parent has slept in, so a familiar scent helps soothe anxiety.
Pressing a physical kiss onto the child's palm for them to hold against their cheek later in the day.
Making sure the child gets 10 to 12 hours of sleep the night before school.