What can you do to make transition easier for children to move from one class to the next?

Question

What can you do to make transition easier for children to move from one class to the next?

Answer 1

These ideas are taken from a paper I wrote for

http://www.After-School-Care.com

You don't indicate what age level you'd like--but this applies to children 4-10.

Verbal warnings should be provided before an activity ending: one at five minutes, then one minute. How would you feel if you were in the middle of your favorite television program or reading an exciting portion of a book and someone demanded that you stop at once? You wouldn’t like it! Give the children time to find a comfortable stopping point in what they are doing.

It may be helpful to do practice runs. “Let’s practice what we will do when…” If for some reason your routine has changed for the day, inform the children and let them know what is expected of them. Behavior is much more predictable when the same routine is followed on a daily basis.

Music: The same piece of music each day is wonderful to indicate transition. There are tunes galore for younger kids.

When lining up make it fun!

Line up by birthday, first name, or height.

While in line, draw a picture on your partner’s back; have him/her guess what it is. Switch guessing drawing places.

Play the telephone/gossip game (whisper something in a child’s ear and it goes down the line. Tell jokes, riddles, tongue-twisters, I Spy with My Eye, Simon Says.

Set up a routine of a different activity on each day of the week. Examples: Mondays – share individual children’s weekend activities;

Wacky Wednesday – tell jokes; Thoughtful Thursday- play the games listed above, and so on.

Keep a basket near the door with small hand-held activities to occupy the children while they’re waiting. (Hand-held mazes, puzzles, stress balls, etch-a sketch, etc.)

With larger groups of children, dismiss or line up by calling fun things. Example: Line up if you’re wearing the color red; line up if you have a tooth missing, etc.

  

Be consistent. Follow the same routine as much as possible so the children know what is expected of them. Behavior is much more predictable with routine and consistency followed on a daily basis.

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Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Let them play in the new situation. For exmp. make an activity where the children could play altogether, they will have fun...