Bridging Early Educational Transitions in Learning Through Children's Agency

SUMMARYProviding for children's learning at points of educational transition must start with the child. New learning opportunities will be at their most effective when linked to the knowledge and mental frameworks that young children already have (Kagan, 2000). Children's learning can be seen as the acquisition of both factual and conceptual knowledge and a sound curriculum should promote learning how to learn (Kagan & Hallmark, 2002). Each of these principles combines to emphasise the possible agency of children in their own learning and raises questions about the appropriateness and adaptability of approaches to effective early learning for children in transition from pre-school to early primary education. This paper draws on a longitudinal study into continuity and progression in young children's learning and focuses on interpretation of video data. It is claimed that children can experience a sense of agency in this transition, if adults address the principles proposed.