Making the Most of a Critical Transition: Kindergarten Transitions Initiative

While the first day of kindergarten is a significant milestone for young children, it can come with a slew of emotions and jitters for them and their families. Along with feelings of nervous excitement, children arrive at kindergarten with a variety of previous learning experiences and structures. For some children, the kindergarten classroom represents their first learning environment away from home, relatives and friends. Others are used to early learning programs that typically offer a nurturing environment with a focus on holistic child development and more time for unstructured, interest-based play.