Teachable Transitions

by Rae Pica

As an early childhood professional, do you have trouble fitting movement and music into an already-overcrowded schedule?  do you find transitions to be among the most difficult times of your day?  The solution to both problems is to combine them: Use movement and music to transition the children!

A transition, according to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, is “a passage or movement from one state, condition, or place to another” or “a passing from one subject to another especially without abruptness.”  In early childhood and school settings, transitions often involve moving from one place to another and from one subject to another.  And to occur without abruptness is certainly one of the goals for transitions.

Although generally not given as much thought as other facets of the curriculum, transitions absorb a good part of the children’s day, especially in early childhood settings, and, therefore, merit equal consideration (Essa, 2003; Isenberg & Jalongo, 2002; Feldman, 1991; Allen & Hart, 1984; Hildebrand, 1980).  If they’re to take place without chaos — another goal — they must be planned, as are other daily components of the program.

An important benefit of planning transitions, which often represent an accumulation of wasted time (Davidson, 1982), is they can be used as yet another opportunity for learning.  Not only will children learn to bring satisfactory closure to activities but also successful transitioning teaches them to move easily into and out of group situations.  These dynamics naturally entail cooperation and consideration.  Furthermore, children learn to follow directions “from the simple to the complex and concerned with locations, object descriptions, and sequences of actions” (Allen & Hart, 1984, p. 104).  Transitions can also be linked to curriculum content, adding continuity and more opportunity for learning to the day’s components.  For example, transitions can be planned to match a weekly or monthly theme.  Children can also be given the chance to review something experienced previously in the day or week.  For instance, they can demonstrate a movement they learned earlier, or they can move from one situation to another like a character in a favorite book they read earlier.

Through transitions, opportunities abound for problem solving, creativity, and self-expression.  Divergent problem solving — where there are many possible responses to a single challenge — is a skill that’s important to creative and critical thinking.  Children can imagine solutions to problems and challenges.  They can imagine what it’s like to be someone or something else.  They can imagine answers to the question, “What if?”  And they can plan full and satisfying futures.

Because transitions usually require moving from one place to another — and music is a common partner of movement, as well as being mood-altering — movement and music are the perfect instruments for transitions. times.  Children naturally enjoy movement and music, so transitions can become pleasurable experiences — even something to be looked forward to.  Movement activities, songs, and fingerplays (all of which should be in a teacher’s ready repertoire) provide a focus for the children during transitions, hold the attention of waiting children, and are easily tied to curriculum content.  And transitions present opportunities for additional experience with movement and music — two subjects teachers often have trouble finding ample time for.

Children naturally enjoy movement and music, so transitions can become pleasurable experiences — even something to be looked forward to.  Movement activities, songs, and fingerplays (all of which should be in a teacher’s ready repertoire) provide a focus for the children during transitions, hold the attention of waiting children, and are easily tied to curriculum content. 

Typical transitions in the early childhood setting entail arrival, group time to free time (or the reverse), cleanup, snacks and lunch, rest or nap time, outdoor time, and departure.  Because everybody, at any age, likes to be welcomed, teachers and caregivers can make the children in their program feel special — and get the day started right — by providing a warm welcome for each and every arriving child.  Similarly, because achieving closure brings such satisfaction, the transition to departure is an important one.  It can help children feel good about their day, good about you, and good about returning in the morning.  All transitions offer opportunities for children to experience various elements of movement and music.

References:

Allen, K.E., & Hart, B. (1984). The early years: Arrangements for learning. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Davidson, J. (1982). Wasted time: The ignored dilemma.  In J.F. Brown (Ed.), Curriculum planning for young children (pp.
   196-204). Washington DC: NAEYC.

Essa, E. (2003). Introduction to early childhood education. Clifton Park NY: Delmar Learning.

Feldman, J.R. (1991). A survival guide for the preschool teacher. West Nyack NY: Center for Applied Research in
   Education.

Hamilton, D.S., & Flemming, B.M. (1990). Resources for creative teaching in early childhood education, 2nd ed. Fort
   Worth TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Hildebrand, V. (1980). Guiding young children. New York: Macmillan.

Isenberg, J.P., & Jalongo, M.R. (2002). Creative expression and play in the early childhood curriculum. New York:
   Merrill.

 Adapted from Teachable Transitions: 190 Activities to Move from Morning Circle to the End of the Day by Rae Pica (Beltsville MD: Gryphon House, 2003)