August — the “Dog Days” of summer; the last weeks of vacations, melting popsicles and hot, lazy days. Most educators, though, including early childhood professionals, are already turning their attentions toward the arrival of new children in their classrooms or programs in the near future. The wisest ECE professionals know that the more energy you put toward preparing for children’s needs (before the start of a new school year or even before the start of each new day), the more likely it will be that, once the children are there, behavior problems will decrease and learning will increase. With that wisdom in mind, here are some ideas you can work on now that will help young children feel welcome at the start of your time together.
Entering a new space, meeting a new teacher or new children and adapting to new routines can all be very stressful and scary for young children. Prepare your space by making sure that the materials they will encounter are all in working order, organized in ways that easily make sense to them and are within their reach. Help them feel a sense of ownership over their space by labeling items and shelves with pictures and words so that they know where things belong. Young children are trying to become independent and by organizing your spaces and materials so that they can put things back without help, you may find that teaching them your clean-up routine will go much more smoothly.
Speaking of routines, it is important to help children understand your group’s schedule and routines from Day One. The unknown can be frightening so help them know what’s coming next and how long it will be until they see their family again, by displaying a schedule of words and pictures, at their eye-level, that shows what will be happening throughout the day. Introduce this schedule to the group during your first Circle Time. Later, if you notice a child feeling anxious or unsure, telling you that they’re hungry or asking for Mommy, bring them over to the schedule and show them what’s coming up and how long it will be until their desired event (i.e, lunch, Mommy). Let them touch each picture on the schedule as you say, for example, “I know you want mommy. Let’s see when she will be coming. It looks like we will be having lunch next, then hand washing, Story Time, nap, playground and then Mommy will be here”. Later, you can review again (and again, if needed), helping them notice that the number of activities between now and Mommy continues to decrease.
In order for this daily schedule strategy to work, you will need to be patient, repetitive and consistent over time. These three traits and behaviors will serve you well in a variety of situations as you are teaching young children new routines and behavioral expectations.
Another key way to help children feel welcome is to create a space that feels home-like, is not over-stimulating with too many colors and decorations and includes pictures of themselves and their loved ones. Reach out to families now, asking them to send you their pictures so that they will be on display when their child enters for the first time. When that day comes, be sure to also show each child the cubby or space you have created, with her/his name and picture on it, which will be the safe space to put treasured belongings from home.
Reaching out to families before children arrive serves other purposes as well. Begin building relationships with parents and caregivers now so that they will also know what to expect from you and what will be asked of them once the school year starts. Get parents in the habit, right from the start, of communicating with you on a regular basis. Let them know your upcoming methods of communication – will you use email, daily/weekly newsletters, a back-and-forth journal, in-person arrival/departure time chats or some other ways of making sure you stay in touch about their child?
Also, now is the time to find out from families what terms are used in their homes so that you can “speak the same language” as each child and know what they are talking about when you spend your first day together. For example, when a child is feeling stressed in that first week with you, is he asking for his pacifier, his blanket or his grandma when he says he wants his “bink bink” or “maw maw”? Knowing his unique home terms for his security items, family members and body parts/functions will help you problem-solve and ease his stress much more quickly.
Being a CDA means being proactive; working now to prepare for children you may not have even met yet so that they will thrive right from the start. The Council wishes you well as you transition from summer to fall and to building a new community.
