Strange summer weather this year! First it was cold, and then it was hot, and then it was cold. Who knows what the next couple of weeks will bring. No matter- I will always think of the final weeks of August as the hottest part of the summer and the part that marks upcoming change. As the summer begins winding down, we can focus our attention on change – and how to prepare children for it.
When I was a director at a small preschool here in Chicago, the teachers had a great way for getting children ready for change. They would create a small calendar with only a few weeks represented. They would then mark a “school day” with a green dot, and a “no-school day” with a red dot. They would count the green dot days. This helped children know (or have a visual representation) of upcoming events, like the weekend or a day off of school.
Some of the children in your program may be getting ready to leave your program and start a new school. You could create a simple calendar with red dots and green dots and then have a visual representation for those children who are leaving so they know when it is going to happen and so their friends know when it is going to happen. ( A drawing of children waving goodbye would work.) As you count down the days, be sure to reassure the children even though some may be leaving, they will always be friends and know one another. Counting down every day will help prepare everyone for the upcoming change.