Transition – Early Childhood to School

Resources

Tools to support effective transition and differentiated learning

The department’s Transition to school resource kit (PDF) offers practical guidance and strategies to support positive transitions and provides useful information on transition planning including key activities, timelines and evaluation.

While many children need support with social and emotional development, children experiencing particular vulnerability may require a differentiated learning approach.

Once you’ve identified the children requiring differentiation, consider the options to best support them in your school’s local context. A child’s Transition Learning and Development Statement is an invaluable source of information and will assist you to plan for differentiated and continuity of learning.

Schools should consider using their equity funding to further support children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Equity funding is one of the tools schools can use to respond to the needs of their vulnerable cohorts. The funding can be used for social disadvantage, children with disabilities and for English as an Additional Language.

Schools can also pool this funding with other schools in their network to strengthen their response and strategies to deliver effective transitions during more challenging circumstances.

Information on equity funding is available at Student Resources Package — Equity Funding (Student Based Funding).

Supporting students with disabilities

• Early Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (Early ABLES) assists schools to appropriately plan for children with a disability or developmental delay in their new learning environment.
• Disability Inclusion Funding and Support is the new approach to supporting children with disability in Victorian government schools.
• Initial Student Support Group (SSG) meetings for students with additional learning needs can support schools to plan tailored transition plans according to student need.
• The Language and Learning Disabilities Support Program provides schools with resources to support the delivery of teaching and learning programs for students with autism, dyslexia, language and other learning disabilities.

Supporting vulnerable cohorts

• VCAA developed resource Support for children with English as an additional language at transition to school.
• Koorie Education Coordinators can arrange for a regional Koorie Engagement Support Officer to work with Koorie children and families.
• Child Protection and Child Safe Standards (PROTECT) provides information and guidance on identifying and responding to child abuse.
• Section 3 of the Transition to school resource kit (PDF) provides further information on how to support specific cohorts.

Curriculum planning

• The VCAA’s VEYLDF Illustrative Maps link the learning and development outcomes of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework to the F-2 levels of the Victorian Curriculum. The maps can help prep teachers better understand and build on the learning and development that has already occurred prior to children starting school.
• Using high impact teaching strategies or HITS can contribute to learning. There are ten instructional practices prep teachers can use, including one focused on differentiated teaching. The HITS guide is available on the department’s High impact teaching strategies website.

Assessments of learning and development

• English Online Interview assesses children’s English skills (reading, writing and speaking and listening). Schools are required to use this tool for each new prep cohort, usually during Term 1.
• Mathematics Online Interview assesses the mathematical understanding of children during the early years of school. Schools are encouraged to use this tool which can help teachers plan to meet children’s learning needs.

Other department resources

For early childhood professionals

Moving to primary school which includes:

• Transition Learning and Development Statements (TLDS)
• Complete an online Transition Learning and Development Statement
• Transition to school resources for families
• Background to positive transitions to school
• Transition to school reciprocal visits
• Transition support for children and families at risk of experiencing vulnerability
• Transition to school resource kit
• Transition to primary school for children with disability

For school teachers

• Access online transition statements for new prep students
• Working with families when children are transitioning to schools

For parents

Enrolling in school

External resources

To access Transition Learning and Development Statements (TLDS) for students starting at your school through the Insight platform, refer to the VCAA website:

Accessing the Insight Assessment Platform (staff login required)