Australian children starting school.

In New South Wales, Australia, the school year begins in early February, and children are eligible to enroll in school (the first year of which is called kindergarten) if they will turn 5 by the end of July. Some parents choose to keep their children out of school until the following year, which means that the age range of children in the same classroom can be between 4-1/2 and 6.

The majority of the New South Wales (NSW) population resides in coastal cities, such as Sydney. However, a substantial population resides inland, within rural cities and towns, and in small or isolated rural communities. This article describes the experiences of several young children who come from a range of locations and backgrounds, as they start school in New South Wales.

What Matters As Children Start School?

The Starting School Research Project involves a group of researchers from the University of Western Sydney and a wide-ranging Advisory Committee that represents leading early childhood organizations, early childhood employer groups, parent associations, school organizations, unions, and the community. To date, project implementers have interviewed groups of children, parents, and early childhood educators, and have surveyed parents and early childhood educators, to determine what is important to each of these groups as children start school.

The interviews and the questionnaire responses build a description of what seem to be the most important issues for children, parents, and educators as children start school. Certainly, the children have a different perspective than the adults (Dockett & Perry, 1999a; Perry, Dockett, & Howard, 2000). For example, children say that starting school is about getting to "know the rules" and that having friends is vitally important. Parents and educators typically focus much more on how well children adjust to school, particularly to different adults and to the organization of the school. When children and families do not know the rules, the adjustment becomes much more difficult.

A New Country and a New School

Celia arrived in Australia a few days before the start of the school year. She had been living in Shanghai with her grandmother while her parents established themselves in Australia. Celia had been to preschool in Shanghai, and was looking forward to being with her parents and starting school in Sydney.

Celia, her mother, and her grandmother visited the school the day before Celia was to start. On the first day of school, Celia's grandmother accompanied her. Both spoke only Mandarin, but were excited by the prospect of Celia's school experience. When her grandmother arrived to collect her at the end of the day, Celia looked despondent. She said she was hungry. When her grandmother asked her if she had eaten her lunch, Celia said that it was still in her bag. Upon further questioning, Celia revealed that she had taken out her sandwiches at recess time, but that the teacher had said to her, "No, not now." Celia had taken this to mean that she was not allowed to eat at school, so she had not tried to get her food out again.

Children are particularly keen to adjust to school. They want to know the rules and they are aware of issues related to power; for example, they know that teachers make the rules for the class, and that school principals make the rules for teachers (Dockett & Perry, 1999b). They are also aware of the disciplinary implications of breaking rules (Dockett & Perry, 1999a). Parents recognize that children who do not adhere to the school rules, or who do not conform to expectations, are labeled as unruly or disruptive.

An Aboriginal Mother's Description of Starting School

The Aboriginal kids came in and choofed the parents off. They wanted to look at everything. One went over to the toy fridge and said, "Why isn't this turned on? Why isn't it cold?" Then he opened the bottom part: "Why isn't this working?" He tried to turn the taps on: "There's no water coming out of them." He felt the element on the stove: "Where's the pot? I want to cook something."

They came out at recess and called out to all they knew, and chatted away. "Look at my new shoes, my new shirt." For lunch, the little Aboriginal kids pulled their lunches out and they were excited! Their older brothers and sisters came over and took on the role of the parents. The non-Aboriginal brothers and sisters came over and cried with the younger ones. It was a real contrast. [The Aboriginal kids] climbed and played and were seen as unruly. They were labeled as unruly from that day. It was also suggested to me that Aboriginal children learn to fend for themselves a lot earlier because they are neglected. I laughed. It's how you choose to bring up your child.

Making and interacting with friends is a critical part of children's settling in to school. School seems like a good place to be when children have friends, or the opportunities to make friends. When children feel that they have no friends, school is a lonely place. A transition-to-school program can be an ideal opportunity for children to become part of a social group and make friends.

A Transition Program

Mushtaq, who is 5 years old, lives with his family in a suburb of Sydney. Many of his relatives live nearby. He speaks Arabic fluently and is developing proficiency in English. Mushtaq and his mother participated in a transition-to-school program. During an eight-week period towards the end of the previous year, a small group of children and their parents attended transition sessions at the school for one morning a week. During this time, the parents met with the school's Community Liaison Officer, who was a member of the local Arabic-speaking community. The children participated in a specially planned program with their future kindergarten teacher. This teacher and some of the current kindergarten children led orientations to different parts of the school each week, helping the new children become familiar with staff, the playground, restrooms, lunch areas, and play areas. When these children started school, they were excited to be together again, to be with their teacher, and to be in a familiar environment.

Transition-to-school programs also give parents an opportunity to make friends with other parents and with the teachers. These relationships are crucial to children and parents, helping them develop a sense of belonging and a sense that they are valued members of the school community. The benefits of a reciprocal relationship between families and teachers, in which each person values and respects the knowledge of the others, are significant.

Catering for a Gifted Child 

Although Helena's mother suspected that she was gifted, she chose not to make a fuss about it. When Helena started school, she was reading quite fluently--she had finished Wind in the Willows just before starting school--and was fascinated by numbers. Helena's mother's primary concerns were that Helena "fit in" with the classroom and find friends, and that she be exposed to some new and exciting challenges.

During the second school term, Helena started bringing home very basic readers. When asked why she was reading these books, Helena replied that everyone in her class was reading the same books. Concerned that the teacher was unaware of Helena's reading ability, and that Helena would soon be bored by this lack of challenge, her mother made an appointment to meet the teacher. The teacher was surprised, saying that Helena had not demonstrated her reading competence in the classroom. Nevertheless, the teacher agreed to provide some alternative readers. Helena easily read most of the books, reading well in advance of her peers. The teacher and mother agreed to keep each other informed about Helena's work, to ensure that her skills, abilities, and understandings were enhanced, rather than ignored. Soon, Helena also became party to these discussions, and a strong team was formed.

Starting school is a major event in the lives of children and their families. In some communities, elders or religious leaders also participate in the process. In others, bus drivers, librarians, school support staff, and parent volunteers all play an important role in helping ease the transition for children, making children and families feel like they belong to a school community.

To School on the Bus

Justin, an only child, lives on a farm 20 kilometers from a large rural city. The stop where Justin catches the bus is almost five kilometers from his house. When Justin started school, his mother, Julie, was worried about the long bus trip and about Justin's safety on the bus. She was worried that older and bigger children on the bus might bully Justin and about what would happen if he caught the wrong bus or forgot to get off at the right stop. For her, one of the most important parts of the transition program offered before Justin started school was the chance to meet the bus driver and talk with her about these issues. Now, Julie feels comfortable that Justin will be able to get help if he needs it. She was also pleased to find out that another child from Justin's class lives nearby and would be catching the same bus. Justin is happy to catch the bus, and proud of his "big" status.

For children who live in isolated areas, traveling to school may not be feasible. Some of these children attend boarding school. Others remain at home and complete some, or all, of their education through a distance education center. These centers employ a range of qualified teachers who communicate regularly with children in their class via the radio or computer, and assign lessons by dispatching a Series of work packages. In these cases, it falls to the parent, usually the mother, to oversee the children's completion of relevant school work. Many families have a designated schoolroom in the house, where a large part of each day is spent completing school work. Their children often become expert radio and computer operators very early in life.

School at a Distance

Marie lives with her family on an isolated sheep property in far western New South Wales. She has two older brothers, one of whom attends boarding school in a town several hundred kilometers away. Her other brother, Mark, age 8, lives on the property. Marie is looking forward to the beginning of the school year, when she will join Mark in the schoolroom (located next to the kitchen) for lessons offered via distance education. Marie's mother, Shelly, is a bit more apprehensive about this change. She explained that while she was comfortable being the "teacher" for preschool, which Marie attended through distance education as well, she was unsure how well she would do as the "teacher" for both Mark and Marie. Both children were confident users of the radio and the computer, which allowed them to converse with children and teachers they had met in person only a few times on their trips to the distance education center. Shelly received packages of work through the mail every couple of weeks, and returned the children's completed work the same way. Nevertheless, Shelly remained unsure about how she would handle the transitions from mother to teacher and back again.

Many changes confront children as they start school. One major challenge is adjusting to life on the playground, where there are often large numbers of children together--both big and small--and where noise and confusion seem to reign. Many schools try to alleviate the anxiety of the playground by providing separate areas, or by having a kindergarten teacher readily available. In one country town, the kindergarten children described their special place on the playground.

The Kindy Tree

A group of kindergarten children were discussing the good things about school. All mentioned the Kindy Tree on the playground.

"We play in the Kindy tree. It's a place where only Kindys can play. You climb it," said Greg.

"You can play games in it," said Nikky. "It's not a big tree, it's just like a bush."

"We play chasing," said Gail, "and we play cops and robbers."

"We try to play cops and robbers but it's too hard," explained Greg.

"Big kids can be mean," added Gail.

"We run away from them," said Greg. "We run to the Kindy tree, where they can't go."

"You can't break the Kindy tree," said Keith. "We have to look after it, because it's special to us. Because it's ours."

"Next year, some other kids will need it, but we won't because we won't be in Kindy!" announced Gail.

Young children are expected to make many adjustments when they start school. They are expected to adjust to the school day and routine, to a new environment, to a large number of other children, and to an unfamiliar adult. In many cases, children make these adjustments with no apparent difficulties. However, it is worth considering the nature of changes and adjustments we expect children to make and to compare these with the changes expected of adults. Sometimes, we expect children to manage situations that many adults would find difficult. Some children must adjust not only to school, but also to the before- and after-school programs they attend at a different school.

Before- and After-school Care

Erin attends a school in her local area. Because her parents work some distance away, she attends a before- and after-school care program as well. As this care is not available at her local school, Erin travels to a nearby school at the beginning and end of each school day. At first, Erin was unsure about this arrangement, and confused about which school she really was attending. She wasn't sure about which rules applied to which school, or what she was supposed to do at each setting. After a few weeks, however, Erin became more confident about arriving at one school early in the morning, catching the bus to her "real" school, and then doing this in reverse each afternoon. Erin has become friends with several older children who attend the same program, and she seems to enjoy the relaxed nature of interactions with staff. Her parents, while supportive of the before- and after-school program, are finding it hard to interact with Erin's kindergarten teacher and to find out what goes on during the school day. They are more involved with the before- and after-school care staff, but these people do not have much interaction with staff from the other school.

The importance of relationships as children make the transition to school cannot be overemphasized. These relationships can be between families and school staff; between prior-to-school educators and educators in schools; between parents and children; between children and educators; between children and their peers; between families; and among children, families, schools, and communities. Once children--and adults--have a sense of working together toward one purpose, a great sense of worth, value, and commitment is generated.

For children, their families, and their teachers, starting school is an important time. Families make many adjustments in order to get children to school on time, make sure they are wearing the appropriate uniform, and have their lunch and other things they need for the day. Their teachers must recognize both the effort and rewards associated with teaching children in the first year of school. Educators in prior-to-school settings experience mixed emotions as children they have grown to know quite well move on to "big school." Although children often display a sense of eagerness and excitement, they also may feel a sense of being lost or not knowing what will happen.

I'm Not a Very Good Finder

Jesse was interviewed just after she had attended the orientation session for her new school.

"Is there anything that worries you about starting school?" she was asked.

"Mmm," replied Jesse, "I don't think I'll be able to find everything."

"Like what?" asked the interviewer.

"Like where the teacher is, or where the room is," she replied.

"Why is that?"

"'Cause I'm not a very good finder," Jesse answered.

Children who have a good chance of succeeding at school are those who start school feeling happy, feel comfortable in a school setting, believe their teacher is interested in them, and whose family also feels good about the school. On the other hand, children who are anxious about school, who don't feel as if they belong, or whose family is confused and anxious about school are less likely to succeed at school without some extra assistance. Adults can respect the feelings and concerns of children, and in that way do a lot to ensure their success.

Separation

When Else started school, her mother, Carla, encouraged her to choose a photo of her family--Mum, Dad, and herself--and to carry it in the pocket of her school uniform. Carla explained, "I have a photo of the family in my wallet, so Else had her own photo. I don't look at the photo in my wallet every day, but I know it's there if I want to, or if I'm feeling a bit down. Else kept the photo in her pocket all the time, until recently when she gave it back to me. She said she didn't need it any more."

Conclusion

Much can be achieved when we work together and take the time to listen to the perspectives of others. In particular, it is important to listen to, and take seriously, children's perspectives. The feelings children have when they start school are powerful predictors of how successful they will be in that setting. When Paolo says that school is "brilliant! You can do lots of fun things, and you can sit next to a friend," we get the sense that he finds school a good place to be. In contrast, Sophie's comment that "some people don't be nice to me" suggests that, for her, school is not the most comfortable place to be.

Through the ongoing work of the Starting School Research Project, we aim to highlight the breadth of issues relevant to children's transition to school, as well as positive ways in which all involved can respond. One strategy has been to establish some guidelines for effective transition-to-school programs. Many schools offer access to such programs, and they provide a valuable opportunity to involve children, families, and communities in working towards a positive transition to school. From our ongoing research, we believe that effective transition to school programs:

* Establish positive relationships among the children, parents, and educators

* Facilitate each child's development as a capable learner

* Differentiate between "orientation to school" and "transition to school" programs

* Draw upon dedicated funding and resources

* Involve a range of stakeholders 

* Are well planned and effectively evaluated

* Are flexible and responsive

* Are based on mutual trust and respect

* Rely on reciprocal communication among participants

* Take into account contextual aspects of community, and of individual families and children within that community. (Dockett & Perry, 2001)

Acknowledgment 

This paper summarizes research that was made possible through a University of Western Sydney Macarthur Foundation Grant, a Complementary Research Unit Grant, and a Strategic Initiatives Grant. In addition, funds were contributed by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, the NSW Department of Community Services, and the Australian Research Council. The authors gratefully acknowledge these financial contributions, as well as the assistance of the project Advisory Committee and the Starting School Research Project team.

References

Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (1999a). Starting school: What matters for children, parents and educators? Research in Practice, 6(3). Canberra: Australian Early Childhood Association.

Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (1999b). Starting school: What do the children say? Early Child Development and Care, 159, 107-119 . Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2001). Starting school: Effective transitions. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 3(2).

Perry, B., Dockett, S., & Howard, P. (2000). Starting school: Issues for children, parents and teachers. Journal of Australian Research in Early Childhood Education, 7(1), 41-53.

Sue Dockett is Head, Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs, and Bob Perry is Head, Primary Teacher Education Programs, School of Education and Early Childhood Studies, University of Western Sydney, Bankstown Australia. Peter Howard is Senior Lecturer, School of Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, Australia. Diana Whitton is Senior Lecturer, University of Western Sydney. Mella Cusack is Senior Research Assistant, University of Western Sydney.