Getting Ready for Reception: Why Transition is Something We Do Together

Vee — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:20:18 +0000

Starting school is a really exciting milestone, but for many children and families it can also feel like a big change. The move into Reception doesn’t just happen on the first day of term its much more of a gradual process that works best when children,families,nursery staff and school staff are involved. When transition is done well, children don’t feel like they are starting from scratch. They feel familiar, confident, and supported.

Transition is a process, not a moment

Every child is different. Some children are ready to walk into a school setting with confidence, while others need a bit more time to adjust to new routines and environments.

That’s completely normal.

Transition isn’t about rushing children to be “ready for school” by a certain date. It’s about helping them build familiarity and confidence over time so the change feels manageable and positive.

Why working together matters

Children settle best when the adults around them are communicating well and sharing information.

This includes:

Nurseries sharing what they know about each child
Schools listening to families and early years practitioners
Parents feeling involved and informed throughout the process
Consistent messages across all settings

When this happens, children benefit from continuity. They arrive at school already known, rather than being seen as a “new start”.

Families play a key role

Parents and carers know their child better than anyone. The small details they share—what comforts their child, what interests them, how they respond to change—are really valuable in helping schools support a smooth transition.

Many families are also unsure what “school readiness” actually means. It’s not about formal learning or academic skills. Instead, it’s about building independence, confidence, and emotional security.

This might include things like:

Being able to separate from a familiar adult
Managing simple self-care such as coats or toileting
Listening and joining in during group activities
Developing confidence in new social situations

These skills develop gradually through everyday experiences, not overnight.

Helping children feel prepared

There are lots of simple things that help children feel more confident about starting school. Visiting the new setting, talking positively about school, and becoming familiar with routines can all make a difference.

What’s most important is that children feel safe and supported throughout this process. There is no pressure for everything to be perfect before they start—nursery and school will continue to build on these skills together.

Even after children start Reception, they are still settling in. The first term is a key part of the transition process as children adjust to new adults, new routines, and a different environment.

Good transition doesn’t end in September. It continues as children build relationships and confidence in their new setting.

When nurseries, schools, and families work together, children feel it. They arrive at school with a sense of familiarity and trust, which helps them settle more easily and feel ready to learn.

Strong relationships and open communication make all the difference.

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What can tracks teach kids? Preschool science activities are a big deal

Witty Kiddies Nurseries — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 23:20:09 +0000

Oh, that’s how that works—wow! Your preschooler’s inquisitive little mind is going ten million miles an hour as they start putting together all the information that they’ve gathered about the world during toddlerhood, from motion and body movements to using new materials and supplies to craft something unique.
And, according to our experts, that makes this the perfect time to start helping kids build early science skills and more.

There will be focus throughout this year on mastering letters, sounds, and words. You’ll watch with delight as she takes her first steps toward reading and writing correctly, especially when those activities are linked, both at school and at home. Help your kindergartner have fun with language in everyday life this year and watch as her vocabulary explodes.

She will learn key fundamentals of math this year, too, and there will be countless ways (no pun intended) to encourage this. Educational standards vary across states, districts, and schools, and no two children learn at exactly the same rate, so don’t panic if your little one doesn’t start to read at the same time as the neighbor’s kid.

Letters and Sounds

“Reading to your children at home not only makes them enjoy reading, but it also helps them in school,” says Susan Quinn, a reading specialist and elementary school teacher at Saint Brendan School in the Bronx, New York. Reading together nurtures companionship and fun and builds concentration, focus, and vocabulary.

The New Einstein’s Academy offers an innovative program for children. The curriculum is designed to empower the children through social interaction, play, discussion, reflection, and creativity. It is the best preschool in Chicago. The daily program of New Einstein’s Academy includes free play, hands-on activities, many learning and outdoor activities. The preschool also goes on field trips on a bi-monthly basis.

It's always better to start them on easier books, because then they feel successful, and that spurs them on, so they'll read more.

John Doe Tweet

Quinn says. Dr. Seuss books, with their rhymes and simple words, are perfect for this age, Quinn says. Kids learn through repetition, so read the same favorite books over and over, ask questions, and encourage your child to say simple words aloud. Throughout the day, have her say the words she sees on street signs, billboards, and computer screens, or have her search for high-frequency words in a magazine.

Numbers and Counting

Get your kindergartner to look for the numbers one through 30 in magazines and newspapers. He can cut them out, glue them on paper, and put them in order. When you’re riding in the car or waiting in line, play a game of “What comes next?” Give your child a number and ask him to identify the following number. At bedtime, ask him to count how many stuffed animals he has, and ask, “How many books about dogs do you have? How fast can you count them?” Take two of these books away and ask, “How many are left?”

Kids this age will learn to recognize, write, order, and count objects up to the number 30.
They will be able to add and subtract small numbers (add with a sum of 10 or less and subtract from 10 or less); this focus on addition and subtraction will continue through second grade.
Kids will learn how to name and describe common shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle) and to identify, sort, and classify objects by color, size, and shape.

Help your child understand the concept of time by saying what time it is during routine activities. Use and explain words like morning, noon, night, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Make a timeline together showing a typical day, with drawings of regular events and the time of day written beneath each one.

In addition to learning about time, 5- and 6-year-olds can name the four seasons, so chart changes in the weather together on a special weather calendar to help your child learn how the seasons change. Find pictures illustrating the seasons (colorful leaves, snow, blooming flowers) and discuss what your child sees in them. Talk about what clothing you can both wear during each season.

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