Abstract
The preceding chapters provide evidence that research, policy and practice concerning transitions to school are at the forefront of attention in both national and international contexts. These chapters represent a wide range of issues concerned with transitions research, practitioner experiences and policy initiatives in Australia, Hong Kong, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden and the United States. These chapters also draw attention to both comparable and contrasting aspects of transitions to school within and across these contexts. In this chapter, we present a synthesis and analysis of the predominant themes addressed in the preceding chapters in this book. We pay particular attention to the emergent areas of importance for transitions to school research, policy and practice and make recommendations for the further development and sustainability of these discourses around starting school.
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Acknowledgement 
The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Leonie McIntosh in the early stages of development of this chapter. Her insights shared during the Starting School: Research, Policy and Practice conference in 2010 were integral to the early planning of this chapter and helped to inform the approach taken here.
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MacDonald, A., Goff, W., Hopps, K., Kaplun, C., Rogers, S. (2014). Starting School: Synthesis and Analysis. In: Perry, B., Dockett, S., Petriwskyj, A. (eds) Transitions to School - International Research, Policy and Practice. International perspectives on early childhood education and development, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7350-9_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7350-9_16
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