Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Transition to School: A Family Affair

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Families and Transition to School

Abstract

This chapter reviews the current theoretical paradigms that have been used in the study of the role of families in transition to school and the impact of transition to school on families. It pursues important lines of inquiry across geographical jurisdictions, socioeconomic and cultural contexts to provide background to the following chapters. It establishes the relevance of considering families and transition across many contexts and the ways in which education policy and systems have sought to address this. The chapter also considers practical processes and approaches that have been used systematically to involve families in their children’s transitions to school and to cater for the needs of those families within the transitions space. The chapter concludes with an overview of each of the following chapters in the book from the perspectives of these theoretical and practical considerations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ackesjö, H. (2013). Children crossing borders. School visits as initial incorporation rites in transition to preschool class. International Journal of Early Childhood, 45(3), 387–410.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnard, W. (2004). Parent involvement in elementary school and educational attainment. Children and Youth Services Review, 26, 39–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beach, K. (1999). Consequential transitions: A sociocultural expedition beyond transfer in education. Review of Research in Education, 24, 101–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernheimer, L., Gallimore, R., & Weisner, T. (1990). Ecocultural theory as a context for the individual family service plan. Journal of Early Intervention, 14, 219–233. doi:10.1177/105381519001400304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biesta, G. (2006). What’s the point of lifelong learning if lifelong learning has no point? On the democratic deficit of policies of lifelong learning. European Educational Research Journal, 5, 169–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). New York: Greenwood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power (Trans. G. Raymond & M. Adamson). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (1997). The forms of capital. In A. H. Halsey, H. Lauder, P. Brown, & A. S. Wells (Eds.), Education, culture, economy and society (pp. 46–58). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology, Theoretical models of human development (Vol. 1, 6th ed., pp. 993–1023). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bull, A., Brooking, K., & Campbell, R. (2008). Successful home-school partnerships. Wellington: Ministry of Education. http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/28415/3 Accessed 23 Mar 2016.

  • Calabrese Barton, A., Drake, C., Perez, G., & St. Louis, K. (2004). Ecologies of parental engagement in urban education. Educational Researcher, 33(4), 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Centre for Community Child Health. (2008). Rethinking school readiness (Policy Brief No. 10). http://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ccch/PB10_SchoolReadiness.pdf Accessed 26 Mar 2016.

  • Clancy, S., Simpson, L., & Howard, P. (2001). Mutual trust and respect. In S. Dockett & B. Perry (Eds.), Beginning school together: Sharing strengths (pp. 56–61). Watson: AECA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, 95–120. doi:10.2307/2780243

  • Corsaro, W., & Molinari, L. (2008). Policy and practice in Italian children’s transition from preschool to elementary school. Research in Comparative and International Education, 3(3), 250–265. doi:10.2304/rcie.2008.3.3.250

  • Council of Australian Governments (COAG). (2009). Investing in the early years – A national early childhood development strategy. https://www.coag.gov.au/sites/default/files/national_ECD_strategy.pdf Accessed 18 Feb 2016.

  • Cowan, P. (1991). Individual and family life transitions: A proposal or a new definition. In P. Cowan & M. Hetherington (Eds.), Family transitions (pp. 3–30). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniel-White, K. (2002). Reassessing parent involvement: Involving language minority parents in school work at home. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, 18(1), 29–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis-Kean, P. (2005). The influence of parent education and family income on child achievement: The indirect role of parental expectations and the home environment. Journal of Family Psychology, 19, 294–304. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.19.2.294

  • Desforges, C., & Abouchaar, A. (2003). The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment: A literature review, Research Report 433, London Department for Education and Skills. Nottingham: DfES. http://bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/18617/Desforges.pdf Accessed 14 Mar 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dockett, S. (2014). Transition to school: Normative or relative? In B. Perry, S. Dockett, & A. Petriwskyj (Eds.), Transitions to school – International research, policy and practice (pp. 187–200). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2009). Readiness for school: A relational construct. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 34(1), 20–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dockett, S., Perry, B., Kearney, E., Hampshire, A., Mason, J., & Schmied, V. (2011). Facilitating children’s transition to school from families with complex support needs. Albury-Wodonga: Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University. http://www.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/154899/Facilitating-Childrens-Trans-School.pdf Accessed 21 Nov 2016.

  • Dunlop, A.-W., & Fabian, H. (Eds.). (2007). Informing transitions in the early years: Research, policy and practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunst, C., Johanson, C., Rounds, T., Trivette, C., & Hamby, D. (1992). Characteristics of parent professional partnerships. In S. Christenson & J. Conoley (Eds.), Home-school collaboration: Enhancing children’s academic and social competence (pp. 157–174). Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ecclestone, K., Biesta, G., & Hughes, M. (2010). Transitions in the lifecourse. In K. Ecclestone, G. Biesta, & M. Hughes (Eds.), Transitions and learning through the lifecourse (pp. 1–15). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Educational Transitions and Change (ETC) Research Group. (2011). Transition to school: Position statement. Albury-Wodonga: Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University. https://artsed.csu.edu.au/education/transitions/publications/Position-Statement.pdf. Accessed 2 May 2017.

  • Edwards, C., & Kutaka, T. (2015). Diverse perspectives of parents, diverse concepts of parent involvement and participation: Contrasts between Italy and the United States. In S. Sheridan & E. Kim (Eds.), Foundational aspects of family-school partnership research (pp. 35–53). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elder Jr., G. H. (1998). The life course as developmental theory. Child Development, 69, 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, J. (1995). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, 76(9), 701–712.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, J. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fan, W., & Williams, C. (2010). The effects of parental involvement on students’ academic self-efficacy, engagement and intrinsic motivation. Educational Psychology, 30(1), 53–74. doi:10.1080/01443410903353302

  • Garpelin, A. (2014). Transition to school: A rite of passage. In B. Perry, S. Dockett, & A. Petriwskyj (Eds.), Transitions to school – International research, policy and practice (pp. 105–116). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gessen, M. (2012). The day of knowledge. New York Times. http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/a-summer-cut-short-for-russian-schoolchildren/?_r=0Accessed 9 Jan 2016.

  • Griebel, W., & Niesel, R. (2009). A developmental psychology perspective in Germany: Co-construction of transitions between family and education system by the child, parents and pedagogues. Early Years, 29(1), 59–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, A., & Goodall, J. (2007). Engaging parents in raising achievement. Do parents know they matter? (Research Report DCSF-RW004). University of Warwick, UK. http://wiki.ict-register.net/images/0/0a/July_07_Every_parent_matters.pdf Accessed 14 Feb 2016.

  • Henderson, A., & Mapp, K. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, A., Mapp, K., Johnson, V., & Davies, D. (2007). Beyond the bake sale: The essential guide to family-school partnerships. New York: New Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, M., Cimetta, A., Cutshaw, C., Yaden, D., & Marx, R. (2014). Protective factors for school readiness among children in poverty. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 19(3–4), 125–147. doi:10.1080/10824669.2014.971692

  • Hoover-Dempsey, K., & Sandler, H. (1997). Why do parents become involved in their children’s education? Review of Educational Research, 67, 3–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M., Greenbough, P., Yee, W., & Andrews, J. (2010). The daily transition between home and school. In K. Ecclestone, G. Biesta, & M. Hughes (Eds.), Transitions and learning through the lifecourse (pp. 16–31). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huser, C., Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2016). Transition to school: Revisiting the bridge metaphor. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 24(3), 439–449. doi:10.1080/1350293X.2015.1102414

  • Hviid, P., & Zittoun, T. (2008). Editorial introduction: Transitions in the process of education. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 23(3), 121–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isaacs, J., & Magnuson, K. (2011). Income and education as predictors of children’s school readiness. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeynes, W. (2012). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of different types of parental involvement programs for urban students. Urban Education, 47(4), 706–742. doi:10.1177/0042085912445643

  • Jindal-Snape, D. (Ed.). (2010). Educational transitions: Moving stories from around the world. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johansson, I. (2007). Horizontal transitions: What can it mean for children in the early school years? In A.-W. Dunlop & H. Fabian (Eds.), Informing transitions in the early years: Research, policy and practice (pp. 33–44). Maidenhead: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kagan, L. S. (1991). Moving from here to there: Rethinking continuity and transitions in early care and education. In B. Spodek & O. Saracho (Eds.), Issues in early childhood curriculum, Yearbook in early childhood education (Vol. 2, pp. 132–151). New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, S., Straw, S., Jones, M., Springate, I., & Grayson, H. (2008). Narrowing the gap in outcomes for vulnerable groups: A review of the research evidence. Berkshire: National Foundation for Education Research. http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/LNG01/LNG01.pdf Accessed 12 Feb 2016.

  • Kiernan, K., & Mensah, F. (2011). Poverty, family resources and children’s early educational attainment: The mediating role of parenting. British Educational Research Journal, 37(2), 317–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimelberg, S. (2014). Beyond test scores: Middle-class mothers, cultural capital, and the evaluation of urban public schools. Sociological Perspectives, 57(2), 208–228. doi:0.1177/0731121414523398

    Google Scholar 

  • Lam, M. S., & Pollard, A. (2006). A conceptual framework for understanding children as agents in the transition from home to kindergarten. Early Years, 26(2), 123–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lareau, A. (2000). Home advantage: Social class and parental intervention in elementary education (2nd ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, E. Y., Li, H., & Rao, N. (2011). Parent involvement and children’s readiness for school in China. Educational Research, 53(1), 95–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laverick, D., & Jalongo, M. (Eds.). (2011). Transitions to early care and education: International perspectives on making schools ready for young children. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • McWayne, C., Melzi, G., Schick, A., Kennedy, J., & Mundt, K. (2013). Defining family engagement among Latino Head Start parents: A mixed-methods measurement development study. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28, 593–607. doi:org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2013.03.008 594

    Google Scholar 

  • Melhuish, E., Sylva, K., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., Taggart, B., & Phan, M. (2008). Effects of the home learning environment and preschool centre experience upon literacy and numeracy development in the early primary school. Journal of Social Issues, 64, 157–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakata, M. (2002). Indigenous knowledge and the cultural interface: Underlying issues at the intersection of knowledge and information systems. IFLA Journal, 28, 281–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, B. (2014). Social justice dimensions of starting school. In B. Perry, S. Dockett, & A. Petriwskyj (Eds.), Transitions to school – International research, policy and practice (pp. 175–186). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, B., Dockett, S., & Petriwskyj, A. (Eds.). (2014). Transitions to school – International research, policy and practice. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, S. (2014). Chasms, bridges and borderlands: A transitions research ‘across the border’ from early childhood education to school in New Zealand. In B. Perry, S. Dockett, & A. Petriwskyj (Eds.), Transitions to school – International research, policy and practice (pp. 105–116). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petriwskyj, A., Thorpe, K., & Tayler, C. (2005). Trends in the construction of transition to school in three western regions, 1990–2004. International Journal of Early Years Education, 13(1), 55–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pianta, R., & Cox, M. (1999). The transition to kindergarten. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pomerantz, E., & Moorman, E. (2010). Parents’ involvement in children’s schooling: A context for children’s development. In J. Meece & J. Eccles (Eds.), Handbook of research on schools, schooling, and human development (pp. 398–417). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quiocho, A., & Daoud, A. (2006). Dispelling myths about Latino parent participation in schools. The Educational Forum, 70(3), 255–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogoff, B. (2003). The cultural nature of human development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, H., Lopez, M., & Westmoreland, H. (2009). Family engagement: A shared responsibility. Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) newsletter (November). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Family Research Project. http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/publicationsresources/family-engagement-a-shared-responsibility Accessed 28 Apr 2016.

  • Sheridan, S., & Kim, E. (2015). Foundational aspects of family-school partnership research. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sheridan, S., Knoche, L., Edwards, C., Bovaird, J., & Kupzyk, K. (2010). Parent engagement and school readiness: Effects of the getting ready intervention on preschool children’s social–emotional competencies. Early Education and Development, 21(1), 125–156. doi:10.1080/10409280902783517

  • Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Gennep, A. (1960). The rites of passage (Trans. B. V. Minika & G.L. Caffee). London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, A., & MacPhee, D. (2011). How home gets to school: Parental control strategies predict children’s school readiness. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26, 355–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisner, T. (1984). Ecocultural niches of middle childhood: A cross-cultural perspective. In W. A. Collins (Ed.), Development during middle childhood: The years from six to twelve (pp. 335–369). Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wildenger, L., McIntyre, L., Fiese, B., & Eckert, T. (2008). Children’s daily routines during kindergarten transition. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36, 69–74. doi:10.1007/s10643–008–0255–2

    Google Scholar 

  • Zarate, M. (2007).Understanding Latino parental involvement in education: Perceptions, expectations, and recommendations. Tomas Rivera Policy Institute. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED502065.pdf. Accessed 14 Apr 2016.

  • Zittoun, T. (2008). Learning through transitions: The role of institutions. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 23(2), 165–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, Australia

    Sue Dockett & Bob Perry

  2. State Institute of Early Childhood Research (IFP), Munich, Germany

    Wilfried Griebel

Authors
  1. Sue Dockett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wilfried Griebel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bob Perry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sue Dockett .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, Australia

    Sue Dockett

  2. State Institute of Early Childhood Research (IFP), Munich, Germany

    Wilfried Griebel

  3. School of Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga, Australia

    Bob Perry

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Dockett, S., Griebel, W., Perry, B. (2017). Transition to School: A Family Affair. In: Dockett, S., Griebel, W., Perry, B. (eds) Families and Transition to School. International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58329-7_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58329-7_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-58327-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-58329-7

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation