This paper is the result of collaboration among early childhood education researchers from different cultures on opposite sides of the globe. The project sought to identify what practitioners in both preschool and primary school settings in Iceland and Australia regarded as successful transition to school practices. Independently developed surveys…

These proceedings present five papers and other highlights of a symposium held to stimulate efforts to provide continuity and support for children and families in transition from early childhood to early elementary school programs. These papers are included: (1) "Connecting with Preschools: How Our Schools Help (and Fail to Help) Entering…

The transition to kindergarten is an important developmental milestone for young children, their families, and teachers. Preparing students for successful kindergarten transition has been identified as a national priority, yet the degree to which parents are involved in kindergarten preparation is rarely considered. This study investigated the…

Surveyed 260 school districts in New York to determine whether they offered pre-first transition classes for children identified as unready for first grade and, if so, what information was used to make placement decision. Fifty-seven percent of districts reported that they had pre-first classes. All reported using teacher recommendations in…

SERVE, the SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education, is a coalition of educators, business leaders, governors and policymakers seeking comprehensive and lasting improvement in education in the five southeastern states. SERVEing Young Children is the early childhood project within SERVE. The first section of this resource booklet introduces the…

A transitional "pre-first-grade" program (for kindergarten "graduates" judged unready for first grade) has been operating in the Irving (Texas) Independent School District since the early 1980s. This evaluation, comparing three sets of students (participating pre-first-grade students, nonparticipating refusers who entered first…

The Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS), funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is examining the characteristics of children receiving preschool special education, the services they receive, their transitions across educational levels, and their performance over time on assessments of academic and adaptive skills. PEELS…

Successful early childhood program transitions involve the coordination and continuation of developmental and comprehensive services from birth through age eight. This guide is designed to facilitate the successful transition of children and their families into and out of Early Head Start and Head Start programs and assists in planning for daily…

This issue of the "NCEDL Spotlights" describes the content of a new book, "The Transition to Kindergarten," based on a national transitions synthesis conference sponsored by the National Center for Early Development and Learning. The document delineates the chapter topics and describes four trends expected to have significant effect on the…

Despite teacher layoffs and program eliminations across United States, extra-year programs before kindergarten or between kindergarten and first grade are booming. Such developmental retentions are costly and could lead to higher incidence of dropping out. Schools should be ready for each child. Early-grade teachers and principals must reject…

The relationships among transitional first-grade referrals, school characteristics, and children's personal and school readiness characteristics were studied with 223 students referred to developmental first-grade programs. Results indicate the complexity of referrals to transitional first-grade programs and identify characteristics of children…

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to identify and summarize research on the scope, characteristics and impact of academic and social support services for students. Several reports on academic rigor have also been included to establish a context for the importance of social and academic support. The bibliography is divided into five…

This information packet contains nine articles that outline current trends in kindergarten retention/exclusion and their negative impact on student outcomes, particularly for high risk students. The 1980s saw increasing numbers of children required to repeat kindergarten, attend a transitional grade before first grade, or wait an extra year before…

Recognizing that children who experience continuity as they enter formal education are more likely to sustain their earlier gains than children who do not experience continuity, this document provides guidelines for preschool, Head Start, and elementary teachers and administrators on transition procedures. An executive summary begins the document.…

The practice of delaying students' entrance into kindergarten raises several questions. This literature review asks: (1) How does the entrance age of kindergarten children affect academic achievement?; (2) Do age-eligible older students perform better academically than younger students?; (3) Do year-older or "red-shirted" students have…