Transitions - what effects can child experience?
 

Hi, I'm having difficulty answering this question about transitions.

For each transition explain the potential effects on children and young people's Development.

Age Transitions How will these transitions affect development?
How could you support this?
Birth to 3 years Home to day-care
Room changes in a nursery

3-7 years Move from a Nursery/Pre-school to school
Class/Teacher change

7-12 years Moving to an upper school
Meeting new peers

12-19 years Moving to secondary School or further education
Puberty
Commencing employment
Leaving home (for whatever reason)

Hi, these are the potential effects transitions can have on children and young people:

Short term effects:

• Outbursts of anger
• Crying and tearfulness
• Clinginess/need for affection
• Withdrawal
• Unreasonable behaviour
• Tantrums in younger children
• Regression in behaviour
• Difficulty sleeping
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of motivation
• Lack of concentration

6. How may affect children’s behaviour and development

Long term effects:

• Self harming
• Withdrawal
• Avoiding social contact
• Lack of concentration
• Not learning/developing
• Low self confidence and self esteem
• Strained relationships


This is why it's important to support C&YP as they go through these 'changing' times of their lives.

Consider how your setting helps children and what services, places of support are available for the other age groups.

eg.
7. Supporting children through transition involves

• Explaining what's going on
• Discussing what is happening
• Providing activities that help to distraction, focus and give opportunities for communication, language and literacy
• Have routines that reassure children of what's next
• organise visits that help children be familiar with the new places they'll be attending - visits to nursery, college
• Career advisors
• Counsellors


The level three handbook

Transitions in the Early Years: A practical guide to supporting children between early years settings and into Key Stage 1

Hth