Understanding School Transition: What happens to children and how to help them

School transition is a life changing event for children - they are rarely faced with such a powerful set of personal and social changes. These underpin the immediate and longer term wellbeing of children, peer groups, teachers and schools. Understanding School Transition provides a most comprehensive, international review of this important area, complete with practical advice on what practitioners can do to support children’s wellbeing, motivation and achievement. Offering an accessible introduction to children’s psychology at transition, Understanding School Transition explores transition as a status passage, what we really mean by wellbeing, and the ways in which children adapt to new environments. Key chapters focus on: Understanding stress and anxiety Children’s hopes, fears and myths at transition Parents’ and teachers’ influence and role Children’s relationships with peers as they change schools Children’s personal and collective identities Motivation, engagement and achievement Supporting the most vulnerable children Crucially, it advises how you can help children through implementing transition interventions and evaluating their success in your own school. Illustrated by case studies of experiences in real schools, Understanding School Transition will be essential reading for all training and practising teachers, as well as transition and subject specialists, who want to better understand and influence what happens to children at this critical stage.

Table of Contents:
Foundational Knowledge 1. School transition as a status passage 2. Psychological wellbeing What happens to children? 3. Stress and anxiety 4. Hopes, fears and myths 5. Parents 6. Teachers 7. Peers 8. Identity and self-esteem 9. Motivation, engagement and achievement 10. Vulnerable children How to help them 11. Interventions fro wellbeing 12. Research and evaluation 13. School transition leadership

About the Author :
Jennifer Symonds is a freelance educational researcher and consultant, working in the United Kingdom and United States.

Review :
'Jennifer Symonds book offers something for everyone involved in the transition process; teachers, administrators, parents and hopefully politicians. It reminds us all of the important part that school transition plays in the wellbeing of future adults and, hopefully, will rekindle enthusiasm for and interest in the transfer problem.' Professor Maurice Galton, University of Cambirdge, UK