Building Bridges: The Transition from Preschool to Primary School for Children in Ireland

Mary O'Kane
PhD Awarded by the Dublin Institute of Technology

1. Introduction
2. Contextualising Transition: Preschool and Primary School Provision in Ireland
3. Theorising Transition: Theoretical Framework
4. Understanding Transition: Literature Review
5. Exploring Transition: Methodology - Phase I
6. Exploring Transition: Methodology - Phase II
7. Presentation of Findings - Phase I, Questionnaire Data
8. Presentation of Findings - Phase II, Case Study Data
9. Informing Transitions: Analysis and Discussion
10. Bridging Research and Practice: Conclusions and Recommendations

1. Preschool Sample, County Totals
2. Primary School Sample, County Totals
3. Questionnaire for Preschool Practitioners
4. Questionnaire for Teachers of Junior Infants Classes
5. A Brief Biography of Each Member of the Expert Group
6. Supplementary Questions for Primary School Version of Questionnaire
7. Information Sheet for Parents
8. Consent Form for Parents
9. Child Discussion Group: Consent Form for Parents
10. First Parent Interview – Semi-Structured Interview Plan
11. Second Parent Interview – Semi-Structured Interview Plan
12. Third Parent Interview – Semi-Structured Interview Plan
13. Pictures Used in Child Interviews [Pictures No. 1-4]
    not available for download
14. Pictures Used in Child Interviews [Pictures No. 5-8]
    not available for download
15. Phase II - Data Analysis Codes/Categories
16. Preschool Questionnaire – Background Data
17. Preschool Questionnaire – Background Data
18. Preschool Questionnaire – Decisions on Transition to School
19. Preschool Questionnaire – DD-NDD, Urban-Rural Comparisons
20. Agreement that Particular Skills are Important for Children
21. Three Most Important Skills Proposed by Teachers
22. Preschool Teachers Levels of Agreement of the Importance of Statements Taken from the Literature Relating to Transition to School
23. Preschool Teachers Levels of Agreement of the Importance of a List of Barriers to Ensuring a Successful Transition to Formal Schooling
24. Practices: DD-NDD, Urban-Rural Cross-Tabulation Comparisons (1)
25. Practices: DD-NDD, Urban-Rural Cross-Tabulation Comparisons (2)
26. Practices: DD-NDD, Urban-Rural Cross-Tabulation Comparisons (3)
27. Practices: DD-NDD, Urban-Rural Cross-Tabulation Comparisons (4)
28. Practices: DD-NDD, Urban-Rural Cross-Tabulation Comparisons (5)
29. Urban-Rural Class Size/Class Grouping Data
30. Number of children reported in the junior infants classes of primary schools who took part in the study
31. Teachers of Junior Infants Cross-Tabulation Data (1)
32. Junior Infants Teachers Levels of Agreement of the Importance of Statements Taken from the Literature Relating to Transition to School
33. Teachers of Junior Infants Classes Levels of Agreement of the Importance of a List of Barriers to Ensuring a Successful Transition to Formal Schooling
34. The Greatest Difficulties that Junior Infants Teachers are Facing
35. A Comparison between Preschool Teachers and Teachers of Junior Infants Classes levels of Agreement that Certain Groups of Children Might be More at Risk of Experiencing a Difficult Transition to Formal Schooling
36. Skills Teachers Felt Were Important in Terms of Making a Successful Transition to Formal Schooling
37. How Preschools Could Help the Process: Transition Practices Already in Place in Preschools, and Practices Preschool Teachers Felt Should be put in Place in Preschools
38. Comparison of the Three Most Important Skills Teachers Felt Children Should Possess on Arrival at School
39. Springwood School – Parent Information Pack
40. Classroom Observations, September 2005, Summary of First Day at Springwood School
41. Classroom Observations, September 2005, Summary of Second Day at Springwood School
42. Case Study Child 2: 1st Picture
43. Case Study Child 3: 1st Picture