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Supporting Smooth Transitions: Helping Children Return to School and Daycare After Summer
As #summer winds down, childcare providers play a crucial role in helping children transition back to the structured environment of school and #daycare. This period can be both exciting and challenging for young children. Here's how providers can ease this transition and set the stage for a successful year.
Creating a Welcoming Environment
- Prepare the Physical Space
- Gradual Introduction
- If possible, offer shorter days or a phased return for the first week
- Allow children to explore the space at their own pace
- Familiar Elements
- Include some toys or activities from the previous year for continuity
- Display photos of summer activities to bridge the gap between #home and school
Establishing Routines and Expectations
- Clear Visual Schedules
- Consistent Routines
- Flexibility
- Be prepared to adjust routines as needed during the transition period
- Allow for extra time during transitions initially
Supporting Emotional Well-being
- Validate Feelings
- Acknowledge that it's normal to have mixed emotions about returning
- Provide words to help children #express their feelings
- Create Safe Spaces
- Designate quiet areas where children can retreat if feeling overwhelmed
- Offer comfort items or photos from home (if allowed)
- Positive Reinforcement
- Praise children for their efforts in adjusting to the new routine
- Celebrate small victories and milestones
Fostering Social Connections
- Ice-Breaker Activities
- Plan fun getting-to-know-you games and activities
- Encourage children to share about their summer experiences
- Buddy System
- Pair new children with returning children for peer support
- Rotate buddies to help all children connect
- Collaborative Projects
- Introduce group activities that require teamwork
- Create opportunities for shared experiences and bonding
Communication with Families
- Welcome Packets
- Provide clear information about schedules, policies, and expectations
- Include tips for #parents on supporting the transition at home
- Open House
- Host a pre-return event for families to visit and meet #staff
- Allow children to explore the environment with their parents
- Daily Updates
- Implement a system for sharing daily highlights with families
- Be available to address parent concerns and questions
Addressing Individual Needs
- Personalized Approach
- Recognize that each child may have different transition needs
- Work with families to understand any specific concerns or changes
- Extra Support
- Identify children who may need additional help adjusting
- Develop individual strategies for children with special needs
- Gradual Independence
- Help children build confidence in separating from parents
- Encourage self-help skills appropriate for their age
Curriculum and Activities
- Review and Reinforcement
- Begin with familiar activities to build confidence
- Gradually introduce new concepts and challenges
- Interest-Based Learning
- Incorporate children's summer experiences into activities
- Plan projects that build on current interests
- Outdoor Time
- Maximize #outdoor-play to ease the transition from summer freedom
- Integrate learning experiences into outdoor activities
Health and Safety
- Review Procedures
- Revisit #health-and- #safety protocols with children
- Practice handwashing and other hygiene routines
- Stress Management
- Teach simple #stress-relief techniques like deep breathing
- Incorporate movement and relaxation activities into the daily routine
- Nutrition and Rest
- Ensure balanced meals and snacks to support energy levels
- Provide adequate rest times, especially for younger children
Professional Development
- Staff Training
- Team Approach
- Encourage staff to share ideas and support each other
- Maintain consistent approaches across #classrooms
- The transition back to school and daycare after summer is a significant event in a child's life. Childcare providers have the unique opportunity to make this transition smooth, positive, and exciting for children. By creating a welcoming environment, establishing clear routines, supporting emotional well-being, and fostering social connections, providers can help set the tone for a successful year ahead.
- Remember that patience and flexibility are key during this period. Each child will adjust at their own pace, and it's important to celebrate the small steps along the way. With thoughtful preparation and a supportive approach, childcare providers can help turn the back-to-school transition into an opportunity for #growth, learning, and new beginnings.
- By partnering with families, addressing individual needs, and maintaining a positive, nurturing environment, childcare providers play a crucial role in helping children build the confidence and skills they need to thrive in their educational journey.
Courses & Classes related to Alabama
Online Trainings
- 1,2,3, Eyes on Me: Classroom Safety
- 1-Hour Abuse and Neglect Training
- 45-Hour Coaching and Mentoring
- 45 hour Growth and Development Birth-age 12 ONLINE
- 45-Hour Infant and Toddler Curriculum
- 45-Hour Preschool Curriculum
- 45-Hour School Age Curriculum
- 45 Hours Director-Administration ONLINE
- 9 Hour Communication Course
- A Better Space for All
- Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Reporting
- Access for All: Inclusion and the ADA
- ACEs and Resilience in Child Care
- A Closer Look into Developmental Theories
- Admin as Mentors in Early Education
- Administering Basic Health and Safety ONLINE
- Administration of Medicine
- A Great Place for Education Includes All ONLINE
- A Guide to Effective Communication
- Allergies and Medication in Childcare
- Anxiety: Signs & Strategies
- Appropriate Precautions in Transportation of Children
- A Thoughtful Approach to Children's Mental Health
- Autism Awareness in Child Care
- A Watchful Eye: Supervision in Early Childhood
- Baby Play: Planning Infant and Toddler Activities
- Baby Steps to Milestones ONLINE
- Balance Act: Teacher & Child ONLINE
- Balancing Act: Record Keeping & Supervision
- Balancing Act: Schedules and Routines
- Basics 101: Coaching & Mentoring
- Beautiful Junk: Using Recycled Materials in the Classroom
- Behind the Scenes: Baby Routines ONLINE
- Be Loud, No Bullying Allowed
- Bienvenido! Welcoming All Families
- Brain Building
- Brain Injury Awareness in Young Children
- Bridging Intent and Response: Communication
- Brighter Futures: Social Emotional Development
- Building a Community of Families
- Building and Physical Premises Safety
- Business Planning: Family Child Care
- CDA: A Closer Look at Assessments
- CDA: Approaches to Learning
- CDA: Communication: Keep It Simple
- CDA: Creating the Outdoor Classroom
- CDA: Curriculum Alignment & Materials
- CDA: Essential Tools for Record Keeping
- CDA Family Child Care Credential with Portfolio Review
- CDA Family Child Care Renewal
- CDA Home Visitor Credential Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 1 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 1 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 1 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 2 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 2 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 2 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 3 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 3 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 3 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 4 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 4 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 4 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 5 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 5 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 5 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 6 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 6 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 6 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 7 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 7 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 7 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 8 Part 1 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 8 Part 2 Birth to 5
- CDA Home Visitor Subject Area 8 Part 3 Birth to 5
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requisites
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Benefits to Observing
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Brain Development and Gene Expression
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Classroom Setup
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Health and Safety
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Importance of Consistent Care
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Individualized Learning and Inclusion
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Lesson Planning Made Easy
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Smart Nutrition & Feeding
- CDA Infants/Toddlers: Stages of Development
- CDA Infant/Toddler Credential with Portfolio Review
- CDA Infant/Toddler: Parent Relationships
- CDA Infant/Toddler Renewal
- CDA Introduction
- CDA Preschool Credential with Portfolio Review
- CDA Preschool Renewal
- CDA: Special Needs: Understanding the Whole Child
- CDA: Stand With Respect and Professionalism
- CDA Subject Area 1
- CDA Subject Area 2
- CDA Subject Area 3
- CDA Subject Area 4
- CDA Subject Area 5
- CDA Subject Area 6
- CDA Subject Area 7
- CDA Subject Area 8
- Character Development for Childcare Professionals
- Chef's in the Classroom
- Child Care Administration
- Childcare Management
- Child Care Orientation
- Childhood Obesity
- Children at the Wheel ONLINE
- Children's Keepers: Building Childhood Resilience
- Classroom Arrangement: The Second Teacher
- Classroom Designers ONLINE
- Classroom Management is Collaboration!
- Classroom Positivity
- Classroom Setup for Child Care
- Classroom Tools for Emergent Literacy
- Coaching and Mentoring Techniques
- Coaching/Mentoring DEI
- Collaboration for the Win
- Communication in Coaching and Mentoring
- Community and Family Engagement in Childcare
- Community Partnerships
- Conduct Disorders in Early Childhood
- Confidentiality Is a Must!
- Coordinating with Community in Child Care
- Creating an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Plan
- Creating the Natural Outdoor Classroom
- Cultures in the Classroom
- Curriculum Planning
- DAP for Family Child Care
- DAP for Preschool
- Day 2 Day: Provider Responsibilities
- Designing Your School-Age Classroom ONLINE
- Developing a Successful Workshop
- Developing Program Tranquility
- Developmental Screening in Early Childhood
- Diverse Perspectives in Child Care
- Early Childhood Education
- Early Childhood Program Administration
- Early Learning with Infants and Toddlers
- ECE Programs Through History
- Effective Coaching & Mentoring in ECE
- Elijah's Law: Allergy Awareness Training
- Emergency and Disaster Preparedness- Online
- Emergent Learning & Development
- Engaging Indoor Activities for Inclement Weather
- Engaging Parents in the Montessori Toddler Classroom
- Enhancing Life and Development
- Enriching Education: Field Trips
- Ethical Responsibilities for Trainers
- Evaluating Performance
- Expect the Unexpected: Infants and Toddlers
- Family (or Parent) Conferencing: Developing Trust ONLINE
- FAS in Early Childhood
- Financial Assistance for Child Care
- Food Preparation and Nutrition
- Fragile X Syndrome in Young Children
- Getting on the Right Path to Teaching
- Going Head-to-Head with Challenging Behavior
- Grow with Me: Child Development for Mixed Ages
- Guiding School-Aged Children
- Handling and Storage of Hazardous Materials
- Healing Young Hearts: Stress and Grief
- Health and Nutrition
- Health and Safety Orientation
- Health & Safety Requirements for Childcare Providers
- Healthy Habits from the Start
- Heart-to-Heart Communication: Challenging Behaviors
- Hemophilia in Young Children
- Hidden in Plain Sight: Depression in Young Children
- How Preschoolers Develop
- How To Keep A Healthy Class for Infants/Toddlers
- How To Keep A Healthy Class: Six Tips for Germ Control
- How to Manage Chronic Illness with Infants/Toddlers
- Identifying ADHD in Child Care
- IEPs and IFSPs in Family Child Care
- Illness, Medication, and Allergies in Child Care
- Implementing the Montessori Curriculum
- Inclusive Lessons for Preschoolers
- Inclusive Montessori: Supporting Diverse Learners in the Classroom
- Individual Needs & IEPs for School Age
- Injury Prevention: Their Safety Is In Your Hands
- Intentional Safety for Infants/Toddlers
- Introduction to Coaching & Mentoring
- Intro to Cerebral Palsy
- Intro to Montessori: Philosophy, Principles, and Practices
- It's All About the Timing
- Keeping Them Safe: Infants & Toddlers
- Key Elements of an After School Age Program ONLINE
- Lesson Planning for Preschoolers
- Lesson Planning to Meet School Age Needs
- Let’s Talk: Effective Communication
- Letter & Number Planning in Child Care
- Mandated Reporters
- Mastering Observation Techniques in the Montessori Classroom
- Matchmaking for Mentors
- Meaningful Lesson Planning for Infants/Toddlers
- Meeting Adult Learners' Needs
- Mental Health in Early Childhood
- Mentoring Professional Etiquette in Child Care
- Milestones: By Leaps & Bounds
- Mind's Medicine: Music in Early Childhood
- Montessori Assistant Training
- Montessori Essentials: Mixed-Age Mastery
- Montessori in Context: Decoding Educational Theories
- Montessori Unveiled: Demystifying the Method for Parents
- More than One Way to Look at it: Types of Early Childhood Education Programs
- Moving About the Classroom: Effective Transitions for Everyday
- Mysteries of Challenging Behavior Solved
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Child Care
- No Such Thing as Boring Math
- Observations And Goal Setting in Childcare
- Observing & Assessing in Child Care
- On My Plate: Children's Nutrition
- Open Ears: Listening in Child Care
- Open Heart, Open Art
- Opportunity for Growth: Emotional Development
- Ouch! Biting & Hitting Hurts
- Pillars of Health and Safety in Child Care
- Playful Spaces for Infants & Toddlers
- Playing with a Purpose: Infant/Toddler Lesson Planning
- Play, Learn, Grow Online Version
- Play Safe, Think Big: Literacy Through Play
- Positive Attention: Infants and Toddlers
- Positive Attention: Interactions & Supervision of Infants & Toddlers
- Potty Training Made Simple
- Power of Art: Bldg Self-Esteem & Positive Behavior for ALL Abilities ONLINE
- Preschool Assessments & Observations
- Presentation Strategies & Training Techniques
- Preventative Health and Safety
- Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases
- Prevention of and Response to Allergic Reactions
- Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma
- Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Use of Safe Sleep Practices
- Professional Integrity in Child Care
- Professional Partnerships & Practices
- Project-Based Learning for Children
- Raising Peaceful Learners: The Montessori Advantage
- Requirements of Trainers
- Resources: Building Blocks to Excellence
- Responding to Emergencies
- Roadmapping Preschool Curriculum
- Role of Play in Learning
- Rooted in History: Early Childhood
- Safe Sleep Training
- Self-Regulation & Change: Helping Children Cope
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Shifting Gears to Respect
- Shoo, Germs! Don't Bother Me!
- SIDS: Saving Babies: A Change of Position, A Change in Tradition
- SMART Goals in Coaching & Mentoring
- Solutions NOT Punishments
- Spaces that Support Discovery
- Special Babies
- Special Needs: From Referral to Inclusion
- Spicing Up the Classroom: Learning Centers
- Staff Supervision, Observation & Feedback
- Stay Alert! Steps to Emergency Prep Online Version
- Staying Positive: Guidance for Preschoolers
- Strength in Differences: Cultural Diversity
- Student Success: Expectations & Independence
- Success in Safety for Babies
- Super Special School Agers ONLINE
- Supervision with Intent for Admin
- Supporting Breastfeeding Practices In Child Care
- Supporting Children's Independence
- Supporting Children with Hearing Loss
- Supporting Little Hearts: Divorce and Separation in the Child Care Setting
- Supporting School Age Development ONLINE
- Supporting Skill Development: Children with Special Needs
- Supporting Social Learning: Creating Classrooms that Care
- Tailoring Instruction to Children's Needs
- Teacher/Child Interactions in the School-Age Classroom
- Teacher Mentoring in ECE
- Teacher & Me Playtime
- Teachers, Assemble! Building Up Staff in Child Care
- Teach with Respect ONLINE
- Technology as a Classroom Tool
- The Balancing Act for Administrators: Managing Responsibilities
- The Best Promotion is Play
- The Ethical Code of Child Care
- The First Year: Feeding Infants
- The Foundations of Coaching & Mentoring
- The Montessori Assistant's Toolkit
- Theories on How I Grow
- Theory of Learning
- Theory of Mentoring and Coaching in Early Childhood
- The Prepared Environment: Montessori Class Design
- The Right Kind of Influence for Young Children
- The Super Hero in Us All
- Toddlers and Theories
- Tomorrow's Einsteins: Infant and Toddler Science
- Training Guide for Families from Diverse Language and Cultural Backgrounds
- Transportation Safety
- Typical & Atypical Development in ECE
- Understanding Developmental Disabilities
- Understanding Montessori's Approach to Child Development
- Understanding Print Knowledge in Preschool
- Understanding the Coach's Role
- Universal Language of Coaching & Mentoring
- Using AI Language Models for Trainers
- Using Toys to Support Learning
- Viewing Guidance in a Positive Light
- Watch Me Grow: School Age Development ONLINE
- Ways to Serve: Leadership
- Working Together: Teachers & Preschoolers
- Working With Mixed Age Groups
- Writing Training Goals & Objectives
- Writing Workshop Proposals & Assessments
- You're Not My Friend Anymore: Learning Conflict Resolution
In-person/blended trainings
- 45 Hour Child Growth and Development
- 45-Hour Director-Administration
- 45 Hour Infant and Toddler Methods and Materials
- 45 Hour Preschool Methods and Materials
- 45 Hour School Age Methods and Materials
- A Better Space For All
- Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Reporting
- Access for All: Inclusion and the ADA
- Active Supervision: A Strategy That Works
- Addressing Bullying Among School Age Children
- Administering Basic Health and Safety Overview
- A Great Place for Education Includes ALL
- An Introduction to Child Development Theorists
- Are They Ready for Kindergarten?
- Art from the Heart for Preschoolers: Open Ended Art Projects that Build Self-Esteem
- Assessing through Observation
- Authentic Montessori in Action
- Baby Steps to Milestones
- Balancing Act: Teacher & Child
- Basic Science in Early Childhood
- Beautiful Junk: Using Recycled Materials in the Classroom
- Behind the Scenes: Baby Routines
- Best Practice: Supervising Children
- Bridging Intent and Response: Communication
- Building Bridges for Dual Language Learners
- Business Planning: Family Child Care
- CDA Preparation: From Training to Application
- Child Care Orientation
- Childhood Basics: Discipline, Curriculum and Development
- Children at the Wheel: Emergent Curriculum
- Classroom Arrangement: The Second Teacher
- Classroom Designers
- Classroom Positivity
- Classroom Tools for Emergent Literacy
- Cooking up Success in the Preschool Curriculum
- Creating Routines for Love and Learning
- Curriculum Planning
- DAP for Family Child Care
- DAP for Preschool
- Designing Your School Age Classroom
- Developing Program Tranquility
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education
- Effective Supervision in Child Care
- Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
- Emergent Learning & Development
- Engaging Families During a Pandemic
- Engaging Indoor Activities for Inclement Weather
- Enhancing Life & Development
- Exceptional Children and Early Intervention
- Facilitating Learning in the Preschool Classroom
- Family (or Parent) Conferencing: Developing Trust
- First Aid & CPR: RSV
- From Stress to Wellness
- From Tantrums to Triumphs: Equipping Preschoolers with Self-Regulation Skills
- Health and Nutrition
- Healthy Habits From the Start
- Help Me Sleep Safety: SIDS/SUID Prevention
- How To Keep A Healthy Class: Six Tips for Germ Control
- Including All Children and the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Key Elements of an After School Program
- Know Me For My Abilities
- Let's Talk: Skills for Effective Communication
- Look What I Can Do! Developmental Disabilities Overview
- Making Families Welcome
- Management Basics: Leadership, Planning and Budgeting
- Mandated Reporters
- Marketing Your Family Child Care
- Milestones: By Leaps & Bounds
- Montessori Made Simple: For Today's Teachers
- More than one Way to Look at it: Types of Early Childhood Education Programs
- Moving About the Classroom: Effective Transitions for Everyday
- Nurture Me: Child Development for Young Children
- One World, Many Cultures!
- Ouch! Biting & Hitting Hurts
- Our School Age Family Tree: Children, Staff, & Parents
- Playful Learning: Infant & Toddler Activities
- Playful Spaces: Designing the Infant & Toddler Classroom
- Play, Learn, Grow
- Positive Attention: Interactions & Supervision for Infants & Toddlers
- Potty Training Made Simple
- Power of Art: Bldg Self-Esteem & Positive Behavior for ALL Abilities
- Quality Care...Supporting Families with Integrity
- Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Risk Reduction: Infants and Toddlers in Family Child Care
- Safe Haven: Health & Safety in Family Child Care
- School Age Regs and Professionalism
- Seeing All of Me: Overview of Autism and ADHD
- Setting the Stage: Story Time
- Shifting Gears To RESPECT
- SIDS: Saving Babies: A Change of Position, A Change in Tradition
- Staff Supervision, Observation & Feedback
- Stay Alert! Steps for Emergency Prep
- Stressbusters: Stress Management for Childcare Providers
- Success in Safety for Babies
- Super Special School Agers
- Supporting Little Hearts: Divorce and Separation in the Child Care Setting
- Supporting School Age Development
- Supporting Social Learning: Creating Classrooms that Care
- Teach the Montessori Way: A Practical Guide
- Teach with Respect!
- Team: Together Everyone Achieves More
- The Balancing Act for Administrators: Managing Responsibilities
- The Best Promotion is Play
- The Montessori Classroom: Theory to Practice
- Theories on How I Grow
- The Subtle Teacher: Nonverbal Communication in the Classroom
- Toddlers and Theories
- Training Guide for Families from Diverse Language and Cultural Backgrounds
- Transportation and Field Trip Safety
- Turning Behavior Around for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Using AI Language Models for Trainers
- Using AI Language Models for Trainers
- Watch Me Grow: School Age Development
- What Makes Me Special: An Overview of Autism and ADHD
- Wings of Independence