The developmental and social ramifications of the transition from kindergarten to primary school

Abstract

Abstract. Transitions experienced early in life are having an increasingly deep effect upon the biographies of people of all ages. Socially these transitions are occurring within the framework of private family constellations, which are increasingly characterised by various upheavals and by earlier use of external care institutions. They are also being affected by transitions stipulated by the German education system. The transition from kindergarten to primary school is particularly significant, in that here the clash between entry norms and individual abilities is experienced for the first time. Discussions around child development and school-fitness serve as the basis for structuring daily educational practice in the kindergarten, while the findings of modern transition research increasingly stress the importance of the social system supporting the growing child. From a balanced perspective it can be stated that close co-operation among the systems of family, kindergarten and school can contribute to the success of the transition process. Keywords: transitions, school-readiness, school-fitness, early childhood, education, kindergarten, primary school