Ways Early Childhood Educators Help Children Transition to Child Care

Child care centres enrol children from all backgrounds and walks of life. They may have children that are accustomed to going to child care daily. Other children may have never been in child care. The question for many parents is how the centre will help transition their child from being at home to daily child care. Here are some of the ways early childhood educators can help your child with the transition to child care. 

Routine

Routine is one of the ways many educators help transition students to a new child care centre. The routine may include meeting the child at the door to the classroom and then starting a morning routine with the other students. The routine may also start in the classroom with playtime and social time then move into a routine that deals with the daily activities. This type of routine helps the child acclimate to the new students and the environment by giving them something to look forward to and something that offers a comforting environment. 

Morning Group

A morning group, also known as morning circle or circle time, helps younger children become comfortable in a child care environment. The morning group gathers all the children in the class together and puts them in a circle. This allows all the children to see the other children in the class. They begin to feel comfortable with the children, playtime, and with the idea of being around these other children on a daily basis. The routine and comfort of these groups help the child to make friends and look forward to seeing those friends daily. 

Assign Tasks

Many early childhood instructors use tasks around the classroom. These tasks are small and may consist of putting certain items away after playtime or helping with other similar classroom tasks. By offering each student a task that is theirs to do each day, they are giving the child a purpose within the child care centre. This leads to responsibility and helps children have a reason to go to school when other reasons begin to fade in their level of excitement. 

If you are concerned about how your child will transition to a child care centre environment, discuss transition techniques with the teacher. They will work with you and your child to help the transition be as easy as possible. If you have other concerns, ask them during the initial discussion with the centre. 

For more information, contact a child care centre today.