NAEYC Tips for Back-to-School Transitions

The Summer is just about over. No more going to bed late, sleeping in every morning, or playing outside until dark. Now the routine has to change. Beginning kindergarten, going back to primary school, or to a child care program usually means two things to a young child: 1) a stricter time schedule; and 2) adapting to a different caregiver, classroom, teacher, school, friends or academic challenges. These new experiences can bring on stress or cause children to resist necessary adjustments. Even as adults, we sometimes feel uncomfortable or anxious when facing a new situation. Think how overwhelming it must be for young children who have far less experience in dealing with the unknown! Smooth transitions can be accomplished if the adults who care for children try to view the situation from the child’s perspective. Here are some tips on what you can do to make going back to school a pleasurable experience.

Young children always feel more comfortable if they know what to expect. Before the new school year begins, family members can explain to children how their daily routines will change. Precisely describe what the morning routines will be in age-appropriate terms. Some children may enjoy creating a pictorial chart to include each step of the morning schedule. Try getting up earlier a couple days before the new school year begins and explain why you’re doing it. This may prevent your child from being confused, groggy, cranky, or refusing to get out of bed on the first day of the new program. Discuss how the school or child care environment will be different from the previous year. Many schools and child care professionals invite families to visit the classroom and new teacher before the school year begins. If possible, take advantage of these opportunities to allow the child to meet the teacher or caregiver, find his classroom, the bathroom, and the playground. These one-hour visits can be valuable to children because they’ll be exposed to their new surroundings and still find comfort in going home with a familiar adult or loved one. Make the visit extra special by going out for ice cream or the park afterwards. Reading books with children is a great way to introduce any new experience. They can see how other children beginning school or a new program have the same feelings of uncertainty and how they overcome them. Involve children in preparing for school. For example, they can lay out their clothes, pack a back pack, or select a favorite toy or photo to take with them to the program.

Encourage children to describe how they feel about the “new year” and try to ease any fears they may have. Parents may also feel sad or fearful about their children going off to kindergarten or being transferred to a learning environment for older children. If your emotions are too obvious, you may spoil your child’s enthusiasm for the first day. Exude confidence and good feelings when saying good-bye. Avoid yelling if your child resists getting up from bed, brushing his teeth, or getting dressed, and expect an occasional melt-down. Beginning something new can be stressful and adjustment takes a lot of concentration and effort. Child care professionals, teachers, and families should expect — and be prepared to handle — a few tears and other emotional displays from young children.

If possible, arrive at the new school or program early on the first few days to help the child settle in. The teacher or caregiver may also be available to talk one-on-one with your child before the day’s learning lesson begins. It is also important to arrange for predictable pick-up schedules. Children need to feel confident from the beginning that they can count on a loved one to come back and to come when they said they would. Use the commute to ease the transition between school and home. How adults handle the transitional situations can set the stage for how well a child adjusts to other challenges in life. Those who love and care for children can help them adapt by making preparations in advance, clearly explaining the changes about to take place, and listening if doubts or fears develop.

Eco-Healthy Child Care

Ever thought about national accreditation for your program? Maine Roads to Quality Accreditation Project provides accreditation support for programs seeking national accreditation. We provide support by:

* Convening a cohort of programs who work on accreditation together.

*Observations and feedback

*Onsite technical assistance

*Partial funding for accreditation fees

Maine Roads to Quality Accreditation Project supports the broad spectrum of child care programs to achieve accreditation through the following organizations: Centers and Preschools: Accreditation through the National Association for the Young Children (NAEYC). Maine Roads Accreditation will begin a new cohort this fall for centers that would like to seek NAEYC accreditation. Interested programs need to demonstrate readiness for accreditation and meet Accreditation Candidacy Requirements. These are baseline education requirements for the director and teaching staff. These can be viewed at www.naeyc.og/academy/table1.asp or For more information contact Gretchen Greenberg at 228-8144 or greenber@usm.maine.edu

Family Child Care: If you are a family child care provider and want to become accredited the accrediting organization is NAFCC. Like center based accreditation, Maine Roads to Quality offers support to you as you go through the process. The plan is to offer support in each of the RDC regions of the state starting in the fall of 2008. MRTQ helps with the overall costs of accreditation as well as offers site visits and guidance in navigating the system. For NAFCC accreditation, you will receive a self-study book to focus your improvement plan, and you will need 90 hours of training by the time you submit for final observation. If you would like to view the accreditation standards, please visit www.NAFCC.org For more information on how MRTQ’s accreditation project can support you, call or email Sonja Howard at 230-0114 or sonjahoward@hotmail.com

School-Age Programs: The Council for Accreditation will be taking over the accreditation for school-age programs from the National After-school Association. More details will be available soon about the merging of these two systems.

Family child care providers have multiple responsibilities to fulfill with their families, children in care and their businesses. The energy required in enormous and can be very draining for the provider. This all day seminar, coming in the fall is designed to address this and other related issues that all family child care providers face. You won’t want to miss it, so save the date!

Saturday, October 11, 2008 8:30 – 4:30 certificate for 7 training hours

People’s United Methodist Church, South Portland (near Boys and Girls Club

Waban Case Management

The HMP’s have graciously agreed to sponsor a third CareLink RDC Nutritional trainings for York County Childcare Professionals. This will be a hands on training where providers will receive a wonderful book filled with recipes and nutritional information.

Our own Heidi Williams and a nutritionalist will be providing the training and information. Don’t miss this fabulous training!! Are you tired of the same old menu? Can’t get that fussy eater to eat? Want some new and fun menus to try with the kids and your own family? Come join us for a 2 hour fun, useful, interesting, and interactive learning

experience. This training is required for those Providers on the USDA Food Program but all Providers are welcome!!!!

The Healthy Maine Partnerships (HMP’s) are a statewide network of grant funded health promotion and disease prevention coalitions. York County has three Healthy Maine Partnerships devoted to encouraging tobacco-free living, better nutrition, increased physical activity, and substance abuse prevention in communities, schools, and worksites. They work to make the places in which we live, work, learn, and play healthier. Each HMP has at least one School Health Coordinator that works directly with their school systems to create systemic change for students and staff. The three HMP’s serving communities in York County are: Choose to Be Healthy, a program of York Hospital, Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition, a program of University of New England, and Partners for Healthier Communities, a program of Goodall Hospital.