Document Type

Article

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

5.3 EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Publication Details

International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, vol. 6., 2013.

Abstract

The research outlined in this paper is part of a larger research study undertaken in Ireland by the Centre for Social and Educational Research, at Technological University Dubin, funded by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (O'Kane & Hayes, 2010). The project involved a cluster of two designated disadvantaged primary schools and twelvefeeder preschools, with a specific focus on developing processes for communication and collaboration between the two educational settings. The Bioecological Systems Model (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998) was the primary theoretical basis underpinning the project, given it's acknowledgement of the shared systems of all the stakeholders. The development of the Child Snapshot [a tool for the transfer of information on the child from preschool to primary school] was undertaken with a view to supporting partnership between the two educational settings while also supporting the children making the transition between the two settings. This form was designed to capture the rich knowledge base developed at preschool level, andfacilitate its efficient transfer across to theprimary sector. Evaluation of the Child Snapshot form was overwhelmingly positive, both in terms of the process of development, and in terms of the transfer of information. It continues to be used in this area and other disadvantaged areas in Ireland. Ongoing development of the tool has found that it is easily adapted for wider application. In order to improve coordination and consistency in terms of passing information from the preschool to the primary sector nationwide application of such a tool is recommended.

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