The beginning of kindergarten is a special time for children and their families. It is a time of so many different emotions…excitement, anticipation, worry and nervousness to name just a few. This mix of emotions can be heightened for those entering a bilingual or dual language kindergarten, especially if they don’t know the language of instruction very well. When there is so much uncertainty around an event, the best thing we can do is create as much familiarity as possible to counteract the uncertainties. Programs can ease the transition for students and families by planning opportunities for teachers, students, and families to interact with the new environment and with each other before the first day of school.

Schools can sponsor several events before the first day of school that aim to help teachers, students, and families begin to build relationships. Some of these events are just for new kindergarten families, while others include all kindergarten to eighth grade families (new and returning). For new families, these experiences increase their familiarity with the school, and for new students they contribute to a sense of predictability about  the first day of school. For kindergarteners specifically, these events are an investment toward a smoother transition to a new school.

When new families enroll their children, principals may schedule individual meetings with each family. During this meeting, she welcomes each family personally and asks questions that range from practical matters (e.g., the child’s previous school experience and medical concerns) to more social matters like the child’s likes and dislikes. This information is recorded and later shared with the kindergarten teachers. At this time, families can be scheduled to return to meet the kindergarten teacher and to take a language proficiency screener.

Before this date, each family receives a packet of information with a Letter from the Kindergarten Teacher, a list of school supplies needed, flyers for the various events, and some useful information about preparing their child for the first day of school.

The First Encounter: Meeting the Teacher

About three weeks before the first day of school, families bring their child to the school to meet the kindergarten teacher and take the language proficiency screener. When I was the kindergarten teacher, I approached students in Spanish when I met them (¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Cuantos años tienes?). I did this intentionally, to gauge their reaction to being approached in Spanish.

• Did they know Spanish and immediately respond?
• Did they understand, but respond in English?
• Did they say they don’t speak Spanish?
• Did they ask for repetition?
• Did they look at me with a blank stare?

Whatever their reaction was, it offered an early clue to the linguistic resources the child may have had and, if they did not know Spanish, it began to reveal their approach to managing a new language context. Depending on the reaction, I proceeded in either Spanish or English, keeping in mind that beginning to build a relationship with the child was the main priority at that moment.

Next, I would introduce myself to the family members and explain that we (the student and I) would go upstairs to the classroom and return when we were finished. This gave me an opportunity to observe the student’s reaction to separation from the family member, which provided clues to how they would react to separation on the first day of school. The separation process is very individual for each child and family—for some, it is a familiar process because the child has gone to preschool for several years, but for others it is a difficult first experience. If separation seemed challenging, then I could begin to think about what I would do on the first day to ease the transition and talk to the parent about things they could do to prepare for the first day to help their child with the separation.

Finally, I asked family members to fill out a Family Survey (or asked the questions myself, and used the answers to complete the survey later) that helped me get to know the child and the family. The questions I asked didn’t just focus on identifying family members and likes/dislikes, although these questions are included. I also asked questions that could reveal the child’s linguistic profile and the family’s resources, as well as information about their heritage and culture. This is how I began to identify the funds of knowledge (knowledge that comes from life experience)  that I would consider later in my planning.

The New Environment: Seeing the Classroom for the First Time

When I was a kindergarten teacher, I tried to have my classroom as organized as possible on the day of the language proficiency screener assessment, and I would invite the student to walk around the classroom while I prepared the assessment materials. When the student sat down, I asked him if there was anything he was excited to play with or if he saw anything that he also had at his preschool. In asking these questions, I was trying to activate positive emotions like excitement and familiarity to balance any anxiety or nervousness the child could be feeling. I was also able to get the first glimpse of the child’s personality. Some children are very talkative and outgoing, while others are slower to warm up. After the assessment, I would give the student paper and crayons and ask him to draw me a picture of himself and to write his name (while I finished scoring the assessment). I would ask the child to describe his drawing and write down what he said–this picture and dictation were the first writing sample I collected and filed for each child.

After the assessment, I spent a few minutes with the family members. Some asked about the assessment, but most had questions about how the dual language program worked. Some expressed concern about their child not understanding what would be happening in the classroom if they didn’t know the language well enough. This brief encounter afforded me the opportunity to answer questions and reassure families that I would do many things in addition to talking to help their child understand what was going on. I would also emphasize the importance of their participation in the upcoming events to ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten. I shared my contact information and invited families to contact me if they thought of any other questions in the weeks leading up to the first day. Before they left, I would take both an individual picture of the child and a family picture.

Meet-and-Greet: Meeting New Friends

About two weeks before the first day of school, kindergarten teachers would host a two-hour meet-and-greet on the school’s playground. This event was held on a Saturday morning. We would bring sidewalk chalk, bubbles, ice pops, and bottled water. We would also invite families to bring their own picnic if they wanted to. This event gave children an opportunity to meet and play with each other and with the teachers. At this event, I paid close attention to what language the children used with their family members and with each other, and I engaged with children in whatever language they used with me.

The focus at this event was to continue building the relationship with the child and the family. I would notice out loud how strong children were on the monkey bars or how fast they could run. I also initiated games like La vibora de la mar (akin to London Bridge is Falling Down in English) to encourage children to play together. The idea was for children to have fun and be in proximity to their future classmates. Sometimes two children made a connection and started playing together, but even if that did not happen on this occasion, it helped to build familiarity among the children so making a connection would be more likely during the next encounter. Children have different temperaments…some need several experiences being in close proximity to another child to get to the point where they are comfortable engaging with that child, while others are ready to engage on the first contact. If I noticed a child playing alone or looking isolated, I tried to bring them into some sort of play, but I think it’s important not to force it and to respect the child’s process for becoming a member of a new group.

The meet-and-greet was also an opportunity to chat informally with families while the children played. Having read their parent surveys from the previous encounter, I was able to further explore information that was shared on the survey. This was also another time when families could ask questions about the program and another opportunity to allay fears and concerns about their child’s participation. I would also try to identify connections between parents and let them know about each other to encourage them to start chatting. In doing so, I hoped to be planting the seeds of future connections through which parents could support each other and affirm their shared purpose of raising bilingual children.

Classroom Visit Day: Getting to Know the Classroom

About one week before the first day of school, I would schedule children and families for a classroom visit. I asked them to bring their school supplies to the classroom visit (the list would be mailed to families during the summer and also given to them on the day they came for the language proficiency screener assessment). This allowed me time to organize supplies so they would be ready for students on the first day of school. I also asked that students bring their book bag to this visit so they could choose and label a hook for it in the closet. Before the visit day, I would print three thumbnails of the pictures I took when I first met the child, and I would create three name labels for each child. The child used these sets to label a hook in the closet, a mailbox, and a place at a table. I also narrated and acted out the procedure for arrival on the first day with the child. These simple acts gave the child a sense of control over this new environment and created familiarity—both of which were paramount for a positive experience in the midst of the uncertainty on the first day of school.

When we know that children may not understand what we are saying to them, we must ensure that the environment and the routines speak to them in a way that promotes comprehension. For the child, knowing where he will hang his backpack, put his folder, and sit when he enters the classroom on that first day provides some comfort as well as a sense of self-efficacy in this new environment. During the classroom visit, I would also talk to the child about the possibility that she may not understand some of the things I say, and I would reassure her that I would do other things in addition to talking to help her understand. Sometimes I demonstrated this with gestures and phrases (e.g., I would make the gestures for I-love-you + say Te quiero to a child that does not know any Spanish) and ask the child to guess what I am saying. When the child guessed correctly, I reinforced her feeling of success.

Family Social: Getting to Know the School Community

The last event that families were invited to was a school-wide event. The family social has taken the form of a barbecue and a potluck. It was a larger version of the kindergarten meet-and-greet for all of the school’s families (new and returning). For new families, it was an opportunity to connect with returning families, who could be a rich source of information and past experience. By this third encounter, some children would recognize each other and were beginning to form friendships.

By the first day of school, families and children had built a level of familiarity with the new people and the new environment they would encounter—we had made deposits to their emotional bank accounts to increase the chances that they would have a positive experience on the first day. We had also started to build the strong foundation of connection between the child, the family and the school community that is so vital to the child’s success. With a little planning and a few opportunities to interact before the first day of kindergarten, we can prepare students and families to experience success as they enter our programs and classrooms on that first day.

How does your school welcome children and families? What information do you collect to get to know families and how do you collect the information? The variety of ways to do this surely reflects the diversity of communities across the country. I invite you to inspire others by sharing what your school does in the comments below.