Countdown to kindergarten : giving voice to parents and practitioners

Abstract

The objective of this research was to learn about parents’ and practitioners’ perceptions, ideologies and practices about the transition from home to kindergarten. Two schools participated in the study, one situated in Malta and the other in Gozo. The idea behind choosing two schools that are geographically apart from each other was to try and gauge the extent to which transition practices vary in schools and obtain a better understanding of the degree of support offered to parents of children entering kindergarten. The tools used in this research study were questionnaires and interviews. Thirty-three parents, three heads of schools and four kindergarten assistants participated in this research. The research findings indicate that there are a number of similarities within the two schools. The results show that parents are not fully aware of the guidelines and practices that can be offered at home to help their children go through a smoother transition. In addition, heads of schools and the practitioners believe that the schools ought to increase the transition activities and practices. The researchers believe that the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education should produce a transition policy for all schools. This needs to include a list of practices that state schools will be encouraged to follow in order to support parents and their children to go through a successful transition from home/child-care to kindergarten.