Transition Tips for Students, Parents & Educators

Each school year is an exciting time of transition — for students, parents and educators — and settling in to new routines takes time and extra patience, with others and with ourselves. This week, instead of the usual "snacks," we’re spreading out a big buffet of resources that can help you and your favorite students manage all those feelings and get into a healthy, productive groove.

Learning Snacks: Transition tips for students, parents and educators

FOR KIDS: GAMES FOR LEARNING
• Arthur and friends have more than a dozen free online games to explore, including "Kindergarten Helpers" and "Back to School." Young players learn how to follow instructions, and that it can feel satisfying to take responsibility for making their own classrooms more friendly and functioning.
• In these fun videos, Sesame Street Muppets and celebrity guests explain feeling Enthusiastic, Grouchy or sometimes Jealous.

FOR PARENTS: FEELING YOUR WAY
It’s important for little children to identify their emotions, so they can share with the adults in their lives how they feel about the big, complicated world around us, and so they can develop more empathy for others. Here is some advice for parents on helping your child to manage those tricky back-to-school feelings, and some videos that show how emotions may be expressed.

FOR EDUCATORS: CREATING THE KINDER CLASSROOM
• PBS LearningMedia has assembled the downloadable Teacher Planning Kits for New School Routines. The kits are filled with lesson ideas, activities and professional learning support. They are designed to be used whether teaching virtually or in-person, and with students who may not have internet service.
• The Kindness in the Classroom series offers insight into the positive impacts of teaching mindfulness in a classroom setting. The series focuses on implementing the "Kindness Curriculum," a free, 24-lesson guide for pre-k and kindergarten classrooms.