Transitions

A Note from the Team

Staff who have spent time in classrooms with any age group will be able to tell you that there are more behavior incidents during transition than at any other time.  When children do not know what to do next, they invent things to fill the time.  Often, these things are not appropriate for the given moment in time!

Transitions also present the perfect opportunity for children to make refusals, for a variety of reasons (tired, enjoying activity, enjoying freedom of choice, etc.).  The more transitions across the day, the more opportunities for behavior to arise.  Limit the number of transitions across your day.  Really think about what transitions are REALLY necessary and which could be eliminated.

Also, always consider the purpose of your transitions and if they are meeting your needs.  Before naptime or carpet time, you may need calming transitions.  There may be times when you want to review by using educational transitions.  Other times, you may just want something fun or invigorating.  Make sure your transitions match your needs and the personalities of the children you have.  Very active classrooms or children with impulse control may need more calming than invigorating.  If you have a child with attention deficit (without hyperactive traits), you may need more invigorating to get them stimulated and focused for a learning experience.

When components of this Practice Module are implemented, children will be more engaged in transitions - reducing challenging behaviors during this time. Having warnings, expectations, and other tools will help children to transition without behavior incidents.

~The ECSE Team