How does the daycare prepare for the transition to preschool?

Your child's life is marked by many important milestones, including the transition to daycare and then to nursery school. At each stage, notable transitions occur, and these changes can cause stress for both the child and their parents.

The shift from daycare to nursery school, in particular, is a key moment in your little one’s development.

This stage represents a real upheaval: a new environment, different rules, a new rhythm, and new figures of adults and children with whom they will need to interact.

Daycare: A Place for Socialisation and Early Learning

Daycare is much more than just a childcare facility. It provides an environment where your child has the opportunity to discover the outside world in a secure and nurturing setting. From a very young age, they learn to interact with other children and adults, within a structured social context. It is the first step towards community life, preparing the child for group life—a crucial skill for nursery school.

During their first years in daycare, your child will accumulate fundamental experiences that will foster their overall development. For example, fine motor skills, which involve refining hand-eye coordination, are stimulated through activities such as handling small objects, building, or stacking games.

These practical skills prepare your child for more complex tasks, such as holding a pencil and beginning to trace letters at school.

At the same time, daycare also nurtures their language skills, allowing them to express themselves through pretend play, songs, and stories. They will learn how to make themselves understood, as well as how to listen, observe, and expand their vocabulary—important foundations before engaging in the more formal learning of language in nursery school.

In this regard, the TPS (Très Petite Section) class, starting at two and a half years old, provides a real continuity with daycare, supported by close collaboration between the teams of both the daycare and the school. This is true for languages (bilingual daycare / school with 30% English), as well as the fact that the child is in familiar surroundings and surrounded by people they already trust.

Learning to Live Together

Beyond motor and language skills, daycare is also a place for social learning. It is here that your child will discover the basic rules of social life: respecting others, waiting their turn, sharing, and understanding the first notions of cooperation.

These values are internalised through a nurturing environment and the support of professionals. These social skills will be particularly useful when they start nursery school, a place where they will face more adults and children with different needs and rhythms.

Managing Emotions

At this age, children often experience strong and uncontrollable emotions. Daycares pay particular attention to welcoming these emotions, especially through practices inspired by neuroscience.

Professionals help children name and understand what they are feeling, a skill that will be invaluable when transitioning to nursery school, where emotional management becomes a key part of their daily life. For example, being able to verbalise frustrations or anxiety about the unknown can help prevent tantrums or stress.

Encouraging Independence

Another important aspect of daycare work is the development of independence. As the child grows, they begin to carry out actions by themselves, such as washing their hands, choosing an activity, or putting away their belongings.

These daily tasks, such as putting on their coat or using the toilet without assistance, are essential learnings before starting nursery school.

There, the demands for independence increase: the child will need to dress themselves for playtime, complete tasks without constant help, and manage their schedule within a more structured environment.

Preparing the Child for Nursery School: A More Structured World

As your child approaches three years old, they will face a major change: leaving daycare and entering nursery school. This transition marks the end of free play and exploration without constraints, and the beginning of a more structured environment, with fixed schedules, specific instructions, and different organisation.

The Key Role of Daycare in the Transition

Although daycare and nursery school are different environments, daycare prepares your child for this change by providing a framework conducive to adaptation. Many daycares, like the Petits Savio, offer specific activities to prepare children for their entry into nursery school. One of the most effective practices is organising "transition days" or "bridges," where groups of children visit a nursery school.

These visits allow the child to discover their future school setting, meet the teacher, and get used to the classroom and the presence of other children. This approach helps reduce anxiety related to the unknown and allows the child to feel more confident.

Nursery School

Starting nursery school marks the beginning of a new phase in your child’s development.

The pace is faster:

• They will need to learn to focus, listen more attentively, and follow more complex instructions.
  Activities become more structured and focus on learning the basics of education, such as letters and numbers.
• The role of the adult in this transition is essential: teachers ensure that each child is supported in their adaptation, with playtime but also more calm and focused moments to gradually accustom them to the demands of school. It is also important to note that nursery school remains a place for play and discovery, but with a more collective and educational approach.
• Thus, the child learns to balance work, free play, and break times. The goal is to gradually help them develop attention, work in groups, and show autonomy, all while respecting schedules and rules.
  Continuity Between Nursery School and Primary School

After three years in nursery school, the child enters primary school, where the educational expectations become even more demanding. The transition between these two levels also requires preparation. Nursery school teachers are well aware of these challenges and ensure that children are ready for the demands of primary school. They gradually teach strategies for organisation, concentration, and teamwork that will be useful in primary school.

Conclusion

The transition from daycare to nursery school is a significant step in your child’s life, but it can happen smoothly with the right support. Daycare, by offering an environment rich in discoveries and learning, prepares the child for group life, respect for rules, and independence. It also promotes the development of motor and language skills, which are essential for success in nursery school.