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The Relation of Research on Readiness to Research/Practice of Transitions

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Transitions to School - International Research, Policy and Practice

Abstract

In the United States, transition has historically been seen as the bridge children cross when leaving home and entering formal schooling. Research prior to the 1990s studied transition by reporting and evaluating curriculum or program practices. Transitions were an individual event, experienced by a child and parents at the beginning of kindergarten. Individual schools or districts might design activities like an open house with the lyrical name of Kindergarten Roundup, but little was done systemically to conceptualise or theorise transitions. Instead, US early educators focused on readiness, a concept representing a child’s ability to benefit from schooling. The ensuing discussions often led to a skill-focused discourse about whether children were ready or not ready for kindergarten. Using critical constructionism, this chapter investigates these different focuses on children starting school.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Elizabeth Graue

  2. Winona State University, Winona, MN, USA

    June Reineke

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  1. Elizabeth Graue
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  2. June Reineke
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Correspondence to Elizabeth Graue .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales, Australia

    Bob Perry

  2. School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales, Australia

    Sue Dockett

  3. School of Early Childhood, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia

    Anne Petriwskyj

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Graue, E., Reineke, J. (2014). The Relation of Research on Readiness to Research/Practice of Transitions. In: Perry, B., Dockett, S., Petriwskyj, A. (eds) Transitions to School - International Research, Policy and Practice. International perspectives on early childhood education and development, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7350-9_12

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