Abstract
Transition has been seen primarily as movement between institutions and daily changes. However, it is also a process of transformation of the inner world for the child. In the field of transition research, the perspective of the inner world is yet to be studied, but the Japanese ECCE philosophers Sozo Kurahashi and Makoto Tsumori have developed theories and practices that emphasize the inner world. Based on the ideas of Kurahashi and Tsumori, this chapter clarifies the perspective of how the internal process of transition can be understood. Their developmental and pedagogical theories are summarized as 1) nurturing the inner driving force of development, 2) respecting all forms of development beyond preconceptions, 3) trusting relationships based on sensitivity to subtle interactions, and 4) mutual growth through reflection of practitioners. Accordingly, this chapter examined how transition and school readiness can be perceived. Detailed case studies will enhance building the mutually trusting relationships that will support children throughout elementary school and life beyond.
TopIntroduction
Transition is a significant experience for all human beings, and its importance has been widely recognized in early childhood care and education (ECCE). Transition in ECCE is “the process of change that is experienced when children (and their families) move from one setting to another” (Fabian & Dunlop, 2002, p. 3). Entering and graduating from kindergarten and then entering elementary school are among the most prominent transitions in early childhood. Some children may also experience other kinds of transition, such as moving and changes in their family situation, making the transition process even more complex. While major transitions, such as enrollment and graduation, are shared among children, the process and experiences will differ, depending on the child. Although transitions are valuable growth opportunities, children might find them difficult. Practitioners need to understand each child’s unique transition trajectory with care and compassion.
Transition can be viewed in several ways; Kousholt (2019) remarks that transition can be categorized into vertical and horizontal. Vertical transition refers to the transition between institutions, i.e., from kindergarten to elementary school. In contrast to the vertical transitions that have been the focus of previous research, she refers to a newer concept of horizontal or everyday transitions. Children experience various transitions daily. For example, they go back and forth between home and preschool. Vertical transitions can be marked by a specific date and are often portrayed by events and ceremonies such as convocation, but they are supported and made possible by the accumulation of daily transitions (Kousholt, 2019).
If we learn from this spatial metaphor of transition, we can add a further dimension of depth, namely the process of internal transformation of the child. Transition is evident in social circumstances, which involve adapting to the new situation, developing various associated skills, and transforming the child’s identity and inner growth.
The end of childhood comes to every person, but it does not necessarily occur at a fixed date. As Leo Tolstoy depicted in his classic novel, “Childhood” (Tolstoy, 2016), it is often marked by personal experiences of changes in life circumstances filled with moving stories that surround them. Even though childhood ends someday, the memory and traces are remembered and cherished throughout one’s life. ECCE practitioners witness and support each child in this process of personal transformation. The practitioners themselves are no different from the children in that they are experiencing transitions as internal transformations in their life periods. From the perspective of internal transformation, the ECCE practice, whether for children or adults, is a community where people undergoing such internal transformations gather, grow up together, and leave for the future.
Transition as a process of internal transformation and the involvement of practitioners in supporting this process have not been widely studied. This chapter aims to clarify the perspective of transition as a process of internal transformation. This chapter will refer mainly to the ECCE philosophies of the Japanese scholar Sozo Kurahashi (1882-1955) and his successor, Makoto Tsumori (1926-2018). Although their philosophies are almost unknown beyond Japan, they have widely influenced the ECCE research and practices in the country. Both considered the inner world of children and its development as the basis of ECCE; based on their ECCE practices, they depicted and emphasized the mutuality of ECCE practice in which both children and practitioners grow together.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Hoiku: A Japanese word for the integration of education and care, which has been used to represent the practice in its entirety from the earliest years in Japanese ECCE history. In this chapter, hoiku is translated into ECCE, or, education and care.
Reflection: A professional attitude proposed by Donald Alan Schön that states that the practitioner changes their framework in dialog with the actual situation they deal with. Makoto Tsumori also emphasized that through reflection, ECCE practitioners change their frame of mind to understand children and the relationships that entail moving experiences of mutual growth.
Play Therapy: An approach to psychotherapy for children that encourages free play to symbolically express their emotion and fulfill their unconscious motive for growth as a human being, supported by the relationship with the therapist.
Jungian Psychology: A school of psychotherapy, initiated by Carl Gustav Jung, that shares basic tenets with psychoanalysis, but emphasizes mutual transformation, interaction in the present moment, and a non-reductionistic approach to symbolic images.
Self-Fulfillment: A state that Japanese ECCE philosopher, Sozo Kurahashi, aimed to realize in children’s lives in kindergartens ( Jiko-Jujitsu in Japanese). Children have a strong propensity to achieve self-fulfillment by nature and gain enormous experiences to foster their development in various ways through it, supported by a rich environment and mutually trusting relationships.
Community Of Practice: Members in a community that shares certain practices learn from sharing a part of the practice, belonging together, and experiencing conflict in the community. It is related to the concept of Legitimate Peripheral Participation ( Lave & Wenger, 1991 ), which changed the conception of learning from individual phenomena into relational ones.