CUR120: Trouble-Free Transitions that Teach

Handout

Welcome to CUR120

This course presents practical and fun methods for reducing the stress of daily classroom transitions. It explores effective transition strategies that ensure smooth progression through the daily schedule. The course also promotes the use of transitions as valuable learning opportunities that exist throughout the day.

Objectives By taking notes on the handout and successfully answering assessment questions, participants will meet the following objectives as a result of completing this course:

• Identify developmental skills that enable children to make smooth transitions • Recognize the importance of planning transitions, as other areas of the curriculum are planned • Recall how transitions can teach self-regulation skills and build a sense of community • Select appropriate transitions that incorporate movement and music • Recognize tips for ensuring smooth transitions • Identify transitions that connect to curriculum content and popular classroom themes • Recognize the importance of divergent problem solving, creativity, and self-expression, and

the role transitions can play in promoting these 21st-century skills. • Select developmentally appropriate transition activities for arrival, clean-up, snacks and lunch,

moving outside the classroom, nap or rest time, and departure.

References:

1. Butler, A. and Ostrosky, M. (2018). Reducing Challenging Behaviors during Transitions. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/sep2018/reducing-challenging-behaviors-during-transitions.

2. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2021). “Executive Function and Self-Regulation.” Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/.

3. Cherry, C. (1981). Think of Something Quiet. Globe Fearon Co. 4. Grineski, S. (2012). Cooperative Learning in Physical Education. Champaign, IL: Human

Kinetics. 5. Kohn, A. (1992). No Contest: The Case Against Competition, revised edition. New York, NY:

Houghton Mifflin. 6. Mendola, W. (2017). “Nap Time is for Letting Go.” Teaching Young Children; NAEYC. Retrieved

from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/dec2017/nap-time-letting-go. 7. Pica, R. (2003). Teachable Transitions. Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House. 8. Pica, R. (2019). Acting Out!: Avoid Behavior Challenges with Active Learning Games and

Activities. Redleaf Press. 9. Pica, R. (2020). Active Learning with Rae. Retrieved from https://www.raepica.com/.

Course Notes

Use the following pages to record important information from the course.

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Working with Transitions

Self-regulation skills that children are working to develop include:

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Creating Realistic Expectations

The Benefits of Planning for Transitions

Transitions Reinforce Cognitive Skills

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Transitions Promote Self-Regulation

Transitions Build Community

Kohn tells us that cooperation:

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Steve Grineski, author of Cooperative Learning in Physical Education, says that the social skills needed for cooperative learning include:

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Transitions that Incorporate Movement and Music

When teaching movements, you must help the children understand and respect the concept of

______________________________.

Transition Best Practices

Set the Tone

Consider Children’s Needs and Interests

Remain Calm and Supportive

Be Prepared

Encourage Creativity, Not Conformity

Reduce Wait-Time and Overcrowding

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Transitions Throughout the Day

Arrival

Clean-up

Starting Clean-up Time

During Clean-up

At the End of Clean-up

Meals and Snacks

The ultimate goal of meal and snack transitions is to:

Preparing for Meals and Snacks

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After Eating

Moving to Other Environments

Preparing to Travel

Traveling to Different Environments

Nap or Rest Time

Transition to Cots

Transition to Rest

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The Transition Out of Naptime

Departure

Video Resources

Active Learning with Rae is a YouTube channel offering many active-learning ideas, including those used for transitions throughout the day. To hear some of the songs shared in this course and even more tips, visit the links below:

• Arrival transitions (duration 6:28) • Clean-up transitions (duration 4:45) • Snacks and meal transitions (duration 4:54) • Transitions to different environments (duration 6:13) • Quiet transitions (duration 4:53)

Additional Resources

Clare Cherry's Think of Something Quiet: A Guide for Achieving Serenity in Early Childhood Classrooms was published in 1981, but used copies of this classic are still available for sale on Amazon.

Teachable Transitions, by Rae Pica, offers 190 transition activities for moving from arrival to departure.

"Five Tips to Chaos-Free, Learning-Filled Transitions" is a 10-minute podcast conversation between early childcare professionals Rae Pica and Deborah Stewart.

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Try This!

Instant Replay

This activity provides practice both in using imagination and moving slowly.

Ask the children if they have ever seen an instant replay on television, for instance, during a football or baseball game. Most often, instant replay is shown in slow motion, which is much slower than real-life movement.

Ask the children to move to their mats as though in a slow-motion instant replay.

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Inflated Balloons

This activity promotes deep breathing through the use of imagery the children can relate to and will find fun.

Talk to them about balloons slowly inflating and deflating. If possible, show them with an actual balloon. Ask them what they think happens to the balloon as it is inflated and then deflated.

Once the children are lying on their mats, ask them to imagine they are balloons in any color they want. Now, invite them to pretend they are inflating by breathing in slowly through the nose. Once fully inflated, they begin to deflate by slowly letting the air out through their mouth.

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Animal Sounds

In addition to promoting cooperation, this arrival activity teaches sound discrimination and is perfect if you focus on an animal theme.

Sit in a circle with the children and make the sound of a familiar animal. In turn, each child imitates the sound as closely as possible, all the way around the circle. When the sound comes back to you,

ask the children which animal makes that sound. The children shout out their responses, and the game begins again with someone else initiating a sound.

To transition to your next activity, you can invite the children to leave the circle like one of the animals whose sound they imitated.

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Train Cars

Use this activity both for preparing the children to leave and for heading out the door to your destination.

Before beginning, explain that one child at a time will be added to the "train." Then, acting as the "engine," move throughout the room, making "chugga-chugga" sounds and picking up one "car"

(child) at a time. The train, with its cars connected (each child places hands on the waist or hips of the child in front of them), then heads out the door.

If you want to connect this activity to animals/reptiles instead, the children can instead become one long snake. Simply change the "chugga-chugga" to a hissing sound.

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Try This!

Welcome Song 1

Here’s a simple welcoming song, sung to the tune of “Happy Birthday”:

Good morning to you,

Good morning to you,

Good morning, dear (José),

Good morning to you!

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Welcome Song 2

Here’s another simple song with a favorite melody.

Smile and look directly as you sing the following to the tune of “London Bridge”:

(Catherine) is here today

Here today; here today.

(Catherine) is here today.

I am (We are) so glad to see you!

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Welcome Chant

Although this chant does not incorporate a child′s name, you can still make it personal by preceding it with a hearty "Good morning" that does use the child′s name. The handshake adds another personal touch. And because it makes them feel grown-up, children love to shake hands!

Recite the following chant, shaking the child′s hand on the second and fourth lines:

Hello to you

And how do you do?

It is a wonderful morning

Welcome to school!

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Try This!

Welcome Circle Chant

If several children arrive at once and you want to call them together into a circle, you can use the following chant. They will not need much encouragement, as young children love to form a circle with their friends, and they love the concept of taking a bow.

Explain what you expect of the children when you say the chant. Then use your most inviting voice to chant.

Come together, come together

Come together now.

Stand together in a circle.

Take a great big bow!

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Welcome Song 3

Sit in a circle with the children and teach them this song, sung to the tune of "Farmer in the Dell." Explain that they should all shout "Hooray!" at the end of the song.

It is time to start our day.

It is time to start our day.

Let′s give a great big cheer

And then be on our way!

Hooray!

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What Did You Do Last Night?

To promote communication and social skills, as well as problem-solving, use this activity that can help "wake up" the children′s brains upon arrival.

Explain that one child will act out something they did the night before, and the other children have to guess what it is. Each arriving child then acts out something done the night before.

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Try This!

Locomotion

You can use this activity when it is time to move from where the children have gathered to another part of the classroom.

Challenge the children to move to their new destination in one of the following ways, making sure to ask them only to perform skills within their capabilities:

Jumping (two feet)

Hopping (one foot)

Marching

Walking/tiptoeing

Galloping

Skipping

When appropriate, invite the children to perform the skills in the following ways:

Forward/backward/sideways

In a straight line/in a curving line/in a zigzagging path

At a high level/at a low level

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Other Ways to Move

Invite the children to transition to another area in the classroom or another activity in the following ways.

Be sure the children understand that there is no one right way to respond:

Using only one hand and one foot (or one hand and two feet; two hands and one foot).

Like any four-legged animal.

In a crooked (rounded; pointed) shape.

As though walking on eggs, trying not to break them.

Using any locomotor skill but walking or running.

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Clean-Up Chant

You can use a chant as a signal that warning time has elapsed and actual clean-up must begin. Be

sure the children understand that they are to start cleaning up as soon as they hear this simple three-line chant.

Use your most animated voice to say the following:

It is time to clean up.

It is time to clean up.

It is time to clean up right now!

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Try This!

Freeze!

Children love to move, and they love to be silly, and you can offer them the opportunity to be both while also providing a final alert that it is time to clean up. Let the children know what to do when they hear you call out the following instructions.

1. Once you have given the children their initial warning signals, call out "Freeze!" 2. The children freeze wherever they are. 3. Unfreeze one body part at a time by calling out its name. For example, when you say "hands,"

the children relax their hands.

4. Once the children are completely unfrozen, call out "Shake!" The children shake out their body parts.

5. Finally, call out "Clean Up!"

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Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho; It Is Off to Clean We Go

When the children hear you begin to sing the following little song, they know it is time to stop, look, listen, and then clean!

Sing the following to the tune of "It is Off to Work We Go."

Hi-ho, hi-ho

It is off to clean we go.

We will clean up high

And clean down low,

Hi-ho, hi-ho!

Not only do the lyrics make cleaning sound like fun; also, they incorporate the concepts of up, down, high, and low.

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Letter Recognition

To promote letter recognition (emergent literacy), post the alphabet where all the children can easily

see it. Then explain to the children that you will point to a letter and ask the children to make that letter′s sound. Then challenge them to pick up only items beginning with that letter. Even if there are

no items for a certain letter, point to it anyway and let the children determine whether or not there is an appropriate item.

This game can be adapted to include many different toy characteristics, such as colors, shapes, textures, numbers, etc.

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Singing While We Work

There is nothing like a song to turn an ordinary task into a pleasant one. The children can sing this little ditty to the tune of "Whistle While You Work" as they go about the work of cleaning up.

Singing while we work,

We are happy to be neat.

We pick up here and pick up there

Until our job is complete.

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Hey, Hey; It Is Time to Eat

This is a fun, quick song you and the children can sing together before heading to snack or lunch. Another possibility is to use it as a signal to alert the children to the fact that it is time for lunch or a snack, and they should finish whatever they are doing.

Sing this with enthusiasm to the tune of "Hail, Hail, the Gang′s All Here."

Hey, hey

It is time to eat.

We are so glad it is lunch (snack) time.

We are so glad it is lunch (snack) time.

Hey, hey

It is time to eat.

Let′s not wait a minute more!

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Children as Foods

This imagination-invoking activity gives the children another opportunity to pretend. Remember that

self-expression, not conformity, is the goal. You can encourage self-expression by pointing out the variety of responses you receive. Invite the children to show you what they would look like if they were the following:

Soup sloshing in a bowl

A sandwich

A cookie

An egg

A piece of celery

A carrot stick

An orange

A potato

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Try This!

Spaghetti: Before and After Cooking

This activity encourages the children to consider the before and after of a particular food. It also serves as a relaxation exercise (contracting and releasing the muscles) as the children wait for snack or lunch.

Talk to the children about the differences between uncooked and cooked spaghetti, letting them come up with ideas on their own. If they need prompting, you can ask them to tell you which is straighter or firmer.

Invite the children to use their bodies to demonstrate the difference between uncooked and cooked spaghetti. Alternate between the two, ending with the cooked version, so the children′s muscles are relaxed.

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We are Hungry

Teach the children the following song, sung to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?", so they can announce their imminent arrival at the table(s).

We are hungry.

We are hungry.

Here we come.

Here we come.

It is time for us to eat.

We are hoping for a treat.

Here we are.

Here we are.

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Popping Popcorn

This activity gives the children an opportunity to practice the locomotor skill of jumping (two-footed push-off and landing) or hopping (one-footed push-off and landing) and to experience the movement element of force (how lightly or strongly a movement is performed).

Talk to the children about popcorn, specifically about how the kernels start small and then get larger as they are heated. Is popcorn light or heavy?

Ask them to imagine they are tiny little popcorn kernels on the floor, pretending that the floor is a

stove or microwave. As the heat gets to them, they begin to pop. Finally, invite them to move to snack or lunch like popcorn popping!

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Try This!

Move like Transportation Vehicles

Challenge the children to move like the following forms of transportation:

A truck

A boat

An airplane

A train

As an alternate activity, you can discuss how individuals use various forms of transportation to move food from one place to another.

Ask the children to move like the following:

A grocery cart

A car

A bicycle

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That was Good; That was Yummy

This activity, which uses a song sung to the tune of "This Old Man," demonstrates appreciation while also focusing on three body parts. Body-part identification is a component of early childhood science, which adds another lesson to that content area.

Tell the children that when they hear a body part′s name, they should point to it. Then sing:

That was good.

That was yummy.

That was good food.

In my tummy.

I am so glad for food to eat.

I feel good from head to feet!

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What Did They Enjoy Most?

This activity allows the children to reflect and use language while demonstrating appreciation.

Explain to the children that as they finish eating, you will ask them what they enjoyed most about what they ate. Then do just that as each child finishes eating.

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Food: Color and Shape

Food, color, and shape are often related to one another. Color and shape bring in the content area of art. This activity offers the children the opportunity to consider all three.

Ask the children to name all the foods they can think of that are red, orange, yellow, green, or purple. Give the children one of these colors and challenge them to take on the shape of a food that is that color. The other children guess what foods they are depicting. Repeat with other colors as time permits.

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Moving Away from Food Time

For example, they might move in the following ways:

Like the odor of food floating through the air.

As though moving through peanut butter or marshmallow fluff.

As slowly as molasses being poured.

Like a fizzy drink.

Like a liquid boiling.

As though in a blender.

As though walking through mashed potatoes.

As though stomping grapes.

As though walking on eggs that they do not want to break.

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Call and Response: Getting in Line

This call-and-response activity makes getting in line fun!

Teach the children their responses, explaining that they are to form an orderly line at the door at the end of the activity.

Teacher: Who is ready to go?

Children: We are ready to go!

Teacher: Are you sure you are ready to go?

Children: We are sure we are ready to go!

Teacher: Show me you are ready to go!

Children: We will show you now that we are ready to go!

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Line Up Tummy to Back

This activity is a problem-solving activity for getting children into a line. It may not work smoothly the first time (or the first few times), but as with much else in early childhood, repetition is the key!

Challenge the children to solve this problem: line up so every tummy but one is facing somebody else′s back!

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Oh, the Playground Is Waiting for Us

This activity is appropriate if you are leaving the classroom to go outside to play. It will surely get children excited about going outside!

Start to sing this song, sung to the tune of "She′ll Be Comin′ ′Round the Mountain," as a cue to the children to get ready to go outside, and they can join in as they get ready to go.

Oh, the playground is waiting for us.

Yes, the playground is waiting for us.

Oh, the playground is waiting.

Yes, the playground is waiting.

Oh, the playground is waiting for us.

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"Take My Hand" Chant

This activity, a simple chant, is good to use if the children have been at learning centers and you want

to gather them together to leave the room. Move from center to center, inviting each child to join you as you chant the words below.

After chanting these three little lines to the children individually, lead them with a spirit of adventure toward the door.

Take my hand,

Come take my hand.

We are going on a journey!

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A Marching We Will Go

Teach the children the following, sung to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell," explaining that you are all going to sing it while marching from the classroom to wherever it is you are going.

A marching we will go,

A marching we will go,

Hi-ho, away we go

A marching we will go.

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Unusual Movements

Explain to the children that you will ask them to move from the classroom to wherever they are going in some unusual, fun ways, assuring them that there are no wrong ways to move!

Invite them to move in one of the following ways:

Find a way to use only one foot (or three body parts, etc.).

Move in the most crooked (rounded, pointed) shape possible.

Move in a sideways direction, using any method of locomotion except walking or running.

Find a way to move that involves a preposition (for example, over, under, around, between, or

through).

Move at a low (high) level in space.

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Circus Tightrope Walk

Most children, even those who have never been to one, are fascinated by the idea of the circus. You can use that fascination to promote children′s balancing skills, the concept of personal space, the ability to imagine and to make another transition fun.

Talk to the children about various aspects of the circus, focusing on the tightrope walker. Ask them how they think this circus artist moves across the high wire. [Answer: By carefully placing one foot in front of the other and holding their arms out to the side.]

Line up the children in single file and invite them to imagine they are walking a tightrope out the door and to their destination! If necessary, remind them that tightrope walkers would not be touching anyone else as they cross the high wire.

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A Reason to Move Slowly

This activity stimulates the imagination. Pretending gives children a reason to move slowly, which may not come naturally to them. It requires much more control than moving quickly.

Ask the children to move to their mats or cots as one of the following:

Balloons deflating and coming down from the sky.

Wind-up toys (or the energizer bunny) winding down.

A feather floating to the ground.

Turtles moving.

Snails crawling.

Bears lumbering to their caves for hibernation.

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Vehicles Come to a Stop

If you have been exploring transportation with the children, an alternative to the images on the previous slide would be to invite the children to move like one of the following:

Hot-air balloons or airplanes coming in for a gentle landing.

A train chugging slowly into the station.

Motorboats or cars running out of gas.

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Moving to the (Slowing) Beat

This activity helps children acquire the ability to move with control because it uses two senses, sight and hearing. The children will simply think it is a game!

Explain that you will clap your hands or beat a drum slowly as they move to their mats or cots, and you want them to take nice, slow steps that match the handclaps or drumbeat.

Then walk at a moderate tempo ahead of the children and clap your hands or beat the drum, taking one step per beat. Encourage the children to move as you do. Gradually slow both your claps or beats and steps. By the time you reach the mats or cots, your claps and steps should be very, very slow.

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Melting

Every child is a scientist at heart, exploring and discovering new concepts every day. The process of melting fascinates children, and you can use that fascination to inspire a relaxed state as the children transition from moving around to relaxing.

Once the children are at their mats or cots, invite them to show you what they would look like if they were one of the following things that melt:

Ice cream

An ice cube

A snowperson

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Quiet Imagery

The imagery in this activity can be used once the children are lying on their mats or cots. If necessary, talk to the children about these images.

What do they think these things would feel like?

Which do they like best?

Then, in a quiet voice, ask the children to imagine they are:

Floating on a cloud.

Soaking in a warm tub.

Lying on the beach, feeling the warm sun and cool breeze.

Drifting on a breeze.

Drifting off to sleep.

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Counting Sheep Song

Instruct the children to lie with their eyes closed, imagining the sheep.

Then sing the song below:

One little, two little, three little sheep,

Four little, five little, six little sheep,

Seven little, eight little, nine little sheep,

Helping us to sleep.

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Acknowledge Each Child

Transitions to nap or rest time provide yet another opportunity for you to use the children′s names. You can sing or say these, looking at each child individually or as you move quietly from cot to cot.

You can sing the following to the tune of Brahms′ "Lullaby" as you tiptoe from cot to cot.

Rest your eyes.

Rest your eyes.

Rest your eyes, little [Keisha].

Let your body relax.

Feel the peace that it brings.

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Time to wake song

Time to wake,

Time to rise,

Time to move along.

Now that we have had a nap

Let’s wake up to this song

Oh!

Time to wake,

Time to rise,

Time to have some fun.

Now that we have had a nap

Let’s get up, everyone!

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Wake Up, Wake Up, Open Your Eyes Song

Use this chant when it is time for the children to begin waking up. Recite the words gently and in an inviting tone.

Wake up, wake up

Open your eyes.

Nap [rest] time has made us

Healthy and wise.

Wake up, wake up

Nap [rest] time is done.

It is time to get up

And have some more fun.

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Pretending While Waking Up

As the children are waking up, they might like to do some pretending. The following imagery can be used for that purpose.

Ask the children to wake and rise as though they are:

A bear coming out of hibernation.

A cat waking and stretching.

A baby chick emerging from an egg.

A turtle poking out from its shell.

A butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

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"A Beautiful Circle" Chant

Before you use this simple chant to bring the children into a circle, blink the lights off and on or use whatever signal the children are familiar with to get their attention.

Then chant the following:

1-2-3,

Let me see

A beautiful circle

As round as can be

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"Please Come to the Center of the Room" Song

Let the children know that you expect them to be gathered together by the time the song ends.

Sung to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey," the lyrics are:

Please come to the center

Of the room right now

Please do so quietly

I know you know how!

Please come to the center

And join me to say,

"Goodbye, and I love you

It has been a great day!"

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Gathering in a Circle

Here is a problem-solving challenge to bring the children into a circle.

Use your attention-getting signal and then invite the children to make a round shape using everyone in the class.

When the children are developmentally ready to handle a more cognitively challenging activity, ask them to hold hands with each other and stand, so all of their tummies face the same spot.

Once together, you can help the children unwind by asking them to imagine they are snow sculptures, blocks of ice, or ice cream cones slowly melting to the ground. When everyone is on the floor, you can do an activity that reviews what they experienced or learned during the day.

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What Do You Know? Chant

With the children sitting in a circle on the floor, ask one child at a time to go to the center. Or address one child at a time, sequentially, around the circle.

Then chant:

It is the end of the day

Almost time to go.

Tell us, [Sam],

What do you know?

The child called on demonstrates something learned during the day. If time permits, the rest of the children can replicate each response.

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Describe the Day

This activity offers the children an opportunity to explore descriptive language, reflect on their experiences, and express themselves physically.

Sit in a circle with the children and explain that each child will describe the day with one word. Then go around the circle and ask each child, in turn, to do just that.

Possible responses might include busy, happy, fun, sunny, or snowy.

While still sitting, that child demonstrates that word with their body.

For example, if a child has responded sunny, they might "brighten" their body by sitting up straighter and smiling broadly.

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We Have Had a Wonderful Day Song

This simple song affirms that it has been a worthwhile day and reassures the children that there will be another one tomorrow!

Sitting in a circle with the children, sing the following to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star":

We have had a wonderful day.

We have worked, and we have played.

Now we sing this goodbye song

Because it is time to say so long.

But we are not sad because we know

We will be back here tomorrow.

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It Was Good to Have You with Us Today Song

Use this chant as each child departs from the circle or is exiting the door. In either case, you can say it alone or accompanied by the children who remain.

The words to the chant are:

It was good to have you with us today.

It was good to have you, [Shauna].

It was good to have you with us today.

I will (we will) see you in the morning (on Monday).

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"Goodnight, Ladies" Song

Sing this simple song to the tune of "Goodnight, Ladies," with all the children, or the remaining children, as each child departs from the circle or is exiting the door.

Goodbye, [Julian]

Goodbye, [Julian]

Goodbye, [Julian]

We will (I will) see you tomorrow (or on Monday at the end of the week).

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