Ready Children + Ready Families + Ready Communities + Ready schools =

CHILDREN SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL

When children and schools are ready for each other, wonderful things can happen. Children and families feel valued and eager to learn, teachers are able to work with children in developmentally appropriate ways and the community as a whole benefits.  On average, children who experience positive transitions to school have improved educational success and stay in school longer than those who have negative transitions.

Since 1994, SB6 has been partnering with early childhood programs, community agencies and school districts in Mifflin and Juniata County’s to build a seamless transition for children and their families to kindergarten.

SB6 has 2 transition groups; Terrific Transitions in Mifflin County and the Early Childhood Learning Cooperative in Juniata County. Below is the goals and activity plan for both county’s.

Goals:

• Improve the transition experience of young children entering kindergarten
• Increase family involvement in the learning process.
• Improve the common understanding of school readiness between the early care and education field and the elementary school system.

Transitions Plan

The following is a time line of events for families who have children entering kindergarten that takes place the year prior to entering kindergarten.

August: (year before going to kindergarten)

Getting Ready for Kindergarten calendars are distributed 

September/October:

Small Group Transition Team meets

January:

Yellow Kindergarten Registration Folders are distributed

Small Group Transition Team meets

April/May:

“Getting Acquainted” Station at each kindergarten registration site

Preschool children visit kindergarten classrooms

Preschool and Kindergarten teachers visit each others programs

“Getting Ready for School Night”- in Mifflin County

May:

Small Group Transition Team meets

June/July/August:

“Transition Packets” are mailed in Mifflin and Juniata monthly to families

SUPER WHY Camp in Juniata County

August:

SUPER WHY! Camp in Mifflin County

Kindergarten Orientation

Parent Surveys

Resources:

Helpful Hints for Transitions- distributed to families through SB6 and the early childhood programs.

Successful Kindergarten Transition by Robert Pianta and Marcia Kraft-Sayre.

Fun with Kindergarten- distributed to preschool classrooms, kindergarten libraries and classrooms.

Kindergarten, Here I Am!- Activity guide full of activities to complete during the kindergarten year.