A smooth transition to kindergarten is an essential part of a child's early academic experience--and now there's a how-to handbook with field-tested methods to help schools and programs make it happen. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten teachers, administrators, and family support specialists, this practical guide is built around a model that has been adopted in many diverse schools and communities. Step by step, the book helps professionals and caregivers

• Develop a solid transition plan. Readers will learn how to form a collaborative team; foster strong social connections among children, families, and professionals; create a menu of transition activities that can be tailored to each child's needs; and establish a timeline for putting the transition plan into action.
• Implement the plan. Readers will discover how to anticipate barriers; keep families involved; and conduct ongoing assessment, evaluation, and revision of transition activities. Appendices include photocopiable forms such as brainstorming sheets, parent interview forms, timeline worksheets, and questionnaires for teachers, principals, and family workers.
• Stay motivated and inspired. Readers will learn from the experience of others with insight from real families, educators, and school personnel, plus sample menus of activities they can use in their own homes and classrooms.

Robert C. Pianta, Ph.D., is Dean of the Curry School of Education, Director of the Center for Advanced Study in Teaching and Learning and Novartis U.S. Foundation Professor of Education at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. A former special education teacher, Dr. Pianta is a developmental, school, and clinical child psychologist whose work focuses on assessment and improvement of teacher-student interactions and their role in fostering children's learning and development.

Dr. Pianta is a principal investigator on several major grants including the National Center for Research in Early Childhood Education and the Virginia Education Sciences Training Program, and he has worked closely with the Gates Foundation-funded Measure of Effective Teaching project.

He is the author of more than 250 journal articles, chapters, and books in the areas of early childhood education, teacher performance assessment, professional development, and teacher-child relationships, and he consults regularly with federal agencies, foundations and universities.

Marcia Kraft-Sayre, L.C.S.W., is Regional Project Coordinator for the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL) Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten at the University of Virginia. She has also served as Coordinator for the NCEDL Kindergarten Transition Project. Her current work entails managing data collection for a national study of state-funded prekindergarten programs. She is the co-author of several articles about the transition to kindergarten. For 15 years prior to coming to NCEDL, she worked as a clinical social worker with children and families in mental health and medical settings.