Helping Young Children Succeed at the Start of School

Tips for Teachers and Families

For many of you, September signals the start of a new academic calendar year.  The kids are back in school, and you are settling into your school-year routines. Even if you teach through the summer, or your children are in year-round childcare, they are probably transitioning as well, as they move to a new classroom with new teachers.  We have several tips for both early childhood educators and parents or guardians to help you have a successful start.

---

Teachers:

Provide what counts most. Keep in mind, as you begin the school year, what really counts for children's optimal development and learning: 

• a feeling of safety that comes from loving adult-child relationships
• a predictable schedule
• compassionate guidance
• plenty of opportunities to learn through play and developmentally appropriate experiences  

In this blog post, we'd like to remind you of the rationale for allowing children to learn in developmentally appropriate ways.  The most effective way that children learn is through play, so we encourage you to prioritize play - and the other things, like your relationships with your children - that count!

Sooner is NOT better.  Research shows that “sooner is better” early childhood education results in negative outcomes for children who are not ready for concepts (Elkind, 2006).  Young learners need to experience lots of multi-sensory exploration first, so they can develop higher levels of thought as they grow and develop.

As early childhood educators, it is our job to provide experiences that allow young children to learn through exploration of their physical and social environments.  When we push preschoolers into the world of symbols by, for example, requiring them to complete worksheets or drilling them with flashcards, we may be rushing them past their capabilities.  Time spent in these activities takes time away from the way young children learn best: through child-chosen, child-initiated, child-structured, free play.

 “It is during the early years, ages four to seven, when children’s basic attitudes toward themselves as students and toward learning and school are established. Children who come through this period feeling good about themselves, who enjoy learning and who like school, will have a lasting appetite for the acquisition of skills and knowledge.” 

 “If we want all of our children to be the best that they can be, we must recognize that education is about them, not us. If we do what is best for children, we will give them and their parents the developmentally appropriate, high-quality, affordable, and accessible early-childhood education they both need and deserve.” - David Elkind 

If you're interested in more in-depth information from Dr. Elkind, check out his books in the references below. 

---

Families:  

The back-to-school changes can be anxiety-provoking for young children, so we have many tips for families to help your little ones feel a little less nervous.  First, here are two self-help tips and two tips that help with separation anxiety:

Next, here are 10 more tips for families to help your young children have a successful start:

1. Visit the school, class, or child care center with your children.
2. Include children in picking out appropriate “school supplies” (backpacks, napping mats, clothing, snacks, etc.)
3. Together, label items with your child’s name.
4. Bring supplies ahead of the first day if required.
5. Provide detailed and accurate contact information of parents and all adults who may pick up your children.
6. Talk to young children about who will pick them up and when.
7. Talk with your children about what to expect, where they will eat lunch, and whether they will take a nap.
8. Read stories about things they may do during the school day. ​
9. Adjust bedtime and wake-up time to fit any new routines well before the first day.
10. Read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and talk about feelings of missing someone.

“Remember that separation is a process. Expect that your child (or yourself) will need time to feel comfortable with the new situation.” -Diane Tunis, Rhonda Kleiner, and Fredda Band Loewenstein

We hope you find these suggestions helpful.  We are wishing all teachers, children and families a playful - and less stressful - start to a new school or classroom! ​

---

References & Resources

Elkind, D. (2006). Much too early.  Education Next1(2).  Retrieved September 1, 2023, from https://www.educationnext.org/much-too-early/ 
Elkind, D. (1988). The hurried child: Growing up too fast too soon. Rev. ed. Addison-Wesley.
Elkind, D. (1987). Miseducation: Preschoolers at risk.  Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Penn, A. (1993). The Kissing Hand. Tanglewood Press.
​Tunis, D., Kleiner, R. and Loewenstein, F.B. 13 tips for starting preschool. NAEYC.  https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/13-tips-starting-preschool​