A child’s Transition Statement summarises their abilities as they start school and identifies their individual approaches to learning. Though there might be several people contributing to the information included in the Transition Statement, early childhood educators have the primary responsibility of drawing up the Transition Statement. The following article provides information on the Features Of Transition Statements and Practical Examples For Each Learning Outcome.
The practical examples given below have the following common features:
Example 1
David enjoys being in the company of his peers. He often engages in dramatic play and will act out various roles (e.g. mother, father) with two to three other children. When playing, he confidently expresses his ideas and asks other children for help. When faced with a new learning activity, David benefits from clear 1:1 instructions so he can focus. Once focus, he will persist with challenging tasks (e.g. fine motor-based activities), especially when given encouragement and praise.
This statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that David:
Example 2
Angus is highly communicative and frequently initiates conversations with adults/peers to express his ideas. He has developed close friendships with a wide range of children in the group and varies the children that he will play with from day to day. He lives with his grandmother (his primary caregiver), and does not have any siblings. He has strong relationships with his cousins (all of whom attend the school he will be starting at). He likes to bring various things from home to show others what his grandmother has made for him. Angus enjoys being part of large and small group activities and often shows care for others, e.g. making room for a peer next to him or helping a friend with a difficult task.
This statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader:
Example 3
Linh is beginning to understand her cultural background as a Vietnamese-Australian and understands that other children and families have different cultural backgrounds and languages. Over the year, Linh made pleasing progress with her ability to socialise and play with a range of children in her class. Initially, she only played with a small group of Vietnamese-speaking girls. However, by the end of the year she has shown confidence in playing with many of the children in the group.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that Linh:
Example 1
Kobi is highly imaginative and will often engage one or two other children to tell them about his ideas. He particularly enjoys outside play when he has access to materials where he can make various constructions with his peers. He contributes ideas to overcome problems, saying for example, “no, that will be a bit too heavy”, and will accept others’ suggestions that are different from his own. When a child has been excluded by others, he will notice this and find ways to include the child in the group activity like, by handing them a shovel to dig with. He takes care of the natural environment whilst playing and has been observed walking between plants and only taking sticks that have fallen to the ground.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that Kobi:
Example 2
Gemma is learning how to respond to others’ contributions and ideas in more positive ways. Dramatic play and puppet role-playing have been used with some success to help her understand the feelings and points of view of others. Gemma is able to recognise how others are feeling and with adult prompting/modelling, is able to respond empathetically, for example, by. getting a chair or tissue for a peer. Gemma’s ability to show care for the classroom environment has vastly improved but she still benefits from reminders to tidy up with the group.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that:
Example 3
The kindergarten and Sean’s family have focused on his social skill development and he continues to benefit from adult support to manage his interactions with other children. An egg timer has been used to help with turn taking and this has contributed to him beginning to develop friendships. His love of cars and vigorous play has been used to help him focus and this has led to an increase in his ability to respond positively to his peers, reducing his aggressive behaviours towards others. Sharing toys, play spaces and movement between activities can trigger aggressive behaviour (pushing, hitting). Giving Sean a responsible task and having an adult engage him in conversation about the task helps him to move into the next activity. With these strategies in place, a significant reduction in aggressive behaviour has been noted (i.e. one or two per month).
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that:
Example 1
Mei is a quiet and reserved child. She settles best in the morning if given time to say goodbye to her mum and then by taking her hand and leading her to the mat for an activity. This usually takes about 10 minutes. Mei will respond to an adult positively if she is able to keep her special bunny with her, especially at the start of the day. I have discussed Mei’s difficulty with separation with her parents and they are happy with our approach to settling her. Throughout the day, Mei will join in activities and play alongside other children. She is beginning to initiate conversations with peers to share her interests.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that:
Example 2
Sharon uses appropriate verbal communication most of the time. When initiating play with others, she will use physical actions such as firmly wrapping arms around her peers, pushing, hitting or taking items away from other children. Sharon wants to involve others in her active play and she is beginning to develop appropriate ways of having other children join her. I’ve worked with Sharon to model appropriate behaviour and to understand that other children want their own ‘personal time’ and that it’s ok. She will do well with being reminded gently to use words instead of physical actions and praised when she does.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes
The statement tells the reader that Sharon:
Example 3
Andrew continues to need support to use the toilet. We have supported him by establishing a regular routine of reminding him every two hours. He will benefit from being introduced to and shown how to use the urinal and toilet blocks at school. He may need continued support in going to the toilet for undressing. He prefers privacy but feels comfortable knowing an adult is present nearby. If an accident occurs, Andrew may withdraw from a group or activity and cry. The best way to help him re-enter the group has been to take him to a private place to be changed. Reading him a quick story before he returns to the group to distract him from focusing on the accident also works well. Andrew has undergone a medical assessment (organised by his parents) with no medical conclusion determined.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes
The statement tells the reader:
Example 1
During the first half of the year, Mia has shown an excellent ability to manage time and resources to complete short tasks. She shows persistence when working on set tasks, the ability to take initiative as well as a strong interest in mathematics. For example, she is able to recognise numbers and represent them using objects e.g. “– makes four play dough cakes.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that Mia:
Example 2
Dominic is a ‘hands on’ learner, learning best from tactile, creative and concrete experiences. He has well-developed planning and problem- solving skills which is evident when he builds block constructions, collages and Lego projects. He is inquisitive, has a keen desire for knowledge and great ability to retain and recall information. At times, Dominic may be distracted by other children or his imaginings, particularly in large group situations, and he may find it hard to concentrate on instructions by an adult. Dominic responds well to visual signals such as lists, badges, signs, photos and auditory cues such as quiet gentle music.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that Dominic:
Example 1
Julia has an extensive expressive and receptive vocabulary and is using language to communicate complex ideas and thoughts. She also understands concepts about print and her parents have been providing a literacy-rich environment to extend her learning in this area.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that Julia:
Example 2
Ruby has increased her spontaneous communication with adults and peers substantially during the course of the year. She has received monthly speech pathology support focussing on improving her articulation and she is now understood by familiar people. By using a range of non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and gestures, Ruby is more willing to help the listener to understand what she is saying. She is increasingly confident in initiating play with peers rather than continuing to follow the lead of others.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that Ruby:
Example 3
Cameron has been diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome and has received fortnightly support from a speech pathologist to develop his listening, attention and understanding as well as the use of verbal and non-verbal communication.
Cameron understands simple questions and short instructions, for example, “where’s the pig?” and benefits from the use of gestures, signs and pictures to aid his overall understanding. He uses a combination of single words and Makaton signs to make requests, and comments and to join in songs. He enjoys group song times very much and the use of puppets, props and musical instruments has helped to focus during group activities. This increased level of attention has helped him learn song words, actions, turn-taking and some keywords/ signs associated with his favourite songs like, ‘Old McDonald’.
A Makaton signing workshop attended by a kindergarten staff helped facilitate Cameron’s use and understanding of signs and verbal language The most useful/ relevant Makaton signs for Cameron have been collated by his parents and staff and are attached to this Transition Statement.
The above statement aligns with the following Learning Outcomes:
The statement tells the reader that:
Transition To School Statements - The following article provides information on Writing Transition To School Statements, Reflecting On A Child's Learning and Development, Suggested Inclusions and more.
How Children Can Achieve EYLF Learning Outcomes - This provides examples of how children can achieve each individual EYLF Outcome through play and learning. The language used here can be included in Transition Statements, along with practical examples.
Descriptive Words For Documentation, Observations and Reports - The following is a list of descriptive words that can be used while writing.
Sentence Starters For Documentation Posters - Enable Educators to provide phrases to connect ideas more effectively when writing documentation. The following posters provide sentence starters for a range of different purposes.
Synonyms For Documentation Posters - The following posters list synonyms that can be used when writing documentation such as observations, learning stories, reports and more. Synonyms are words or phrases that mean the same as another word. Using these posters will enable you to broaden your vocabulary when writing.
Descriptive Words For Documentation Posters - A list of descriptive words that can be used while writing. These can be used as a reference point for Educators when completing documentation.
References:
Transition To School Resources Kit, Department Of Education, Victoria
QKLG Transition Statements, Department Of Education, Queensland
