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School readiness is a construct used by educators and policy makers to describe a range of abilities that are beneficial for children transitioning to school. The association of socioeconomic disadvantage with developmental vulnerability when children start school is well established. Parents play a crucial role in supporting children’s transition to school and are acknowledged as their child’s first and foremost teacher. The aim of this study was to explore how parents experience and support their children’s transition to school. This study presents findings from an ethnographic study with 39 parents living in two Australian communities characterised by high area-level socioeconomic disadvantage. The study reports on how parents experience and support their child for transition to school, specifically through their understanding of the concept of ‘readiness’. The role of early childhood services in supporting parents is also explored. Parents conceptualised school readiness as the child’s capacity to function effectively and independently in the hitherto unfamiliar physical and social world of school. Parents considered early childhood services supportive of their children's transition to school, particularly the development of social skills.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	transition to school, ethnography, vulnerable families, early childhood services
Research Division:	Education
Research Group:	Education systems
Research Field:	Early childhood education
Objective Division:	Education and Training
Objective Group:	Schools and learning environments
Objective Field:	Equity and access to education
UTAS Author:	Jose, K (Dr Kim Jose)
UTAS Author:	Banks, S (Ms Susan Banks)
UTAS Author:	Hansen, E (Dr Emily Hansen)
UTAS Author:	Jones, RP (Mrs Rachael Jones)
UTAS Author:	Taylor, CL (Mrs Catherine Taylor)
ID Code:	141794
Year Published:	2020
Deposited By:	Office of the School of Social Sciences
Deposited On:	2020-11-19
Last Modified:	2021-04-26
Downloads:	3 View Download Statistics