This is a comprehensive book highlighting various strategies that teachers and parents can adopt to promote children’s school readiness for transition to kindergarten in the United States. Edited by Andrew Mashburn, Jennifer LoCasale-Crouch, and Katherine Pears, the book opens with a theoretical consideration of how transition can be conceptualised. According to the framework presented, signficance is given not only to the change of context for the child, but equally to the characteristics of the children and how these characteristics are responded to by others. This is reflective of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological approach in which the individual child is understood to both shape and be shaped by the context in which they are embedded.

Following the initial chapter, the book offers an assemblage of strategies (cognitive, social-emotional, and self-regulatory) to support teachers’ awareness and understanding of the holistic development of children during early childhood years. The intent of the strategies is to raise awareness for both teachers and policy makers as to how best support children’s transitions. Also recognised by the authors is the need for increased participation for children in quality early childhood education.

Comprised of 16 chapters, the edited book and is divided into three sections - Understanding children’s development during the kindergarten transition; Understanding kindergarten transitions for specific groups of children; and Supporting children’s development during the kindergarten transition. However, one dominant theme expressed throughout the book is that children who are exposed to high quality, rich experiences during early childhood are better prepared for transition to kindergarten.

Although the case studies and strategies presented within the book are specific to children, families, and teachers across the United States, some of the strategies could be applied to transition processes within the context of early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand, with particular emphasis on establishing positive relationships between all stakeholders.

Also available in an e-version, this accessible and easily navigated book is suitable for students in undergraduate and postgraduate programs, as well as being of value for providers of teacher education and practising teachers.

Reference

• Mashburn, A. J., LoCasale-Crouch, J., & Pears, K. C. (2018). Kindergarten transition and readiness : Promoting cognitive, social-emotional, and self-regulatory development.
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