Children’s_transition_to_school_Voices_of_Bangladeshi_parents_in_Sydney__Australia.doc

Children’s transition to school: Voices of Bangladeshi parents in Sydney, Australia Prathyusha SanagavarapuUniversity of Western Sydney The study on which this paper is based explored Bangladeshi parents’ perceptions of children’s transition to school. The paper reports on the data obtained from interviews with 10 parents living in Sydney, Australia, on their children’s experiences when beginning school. According to the parents, friendships with peers who share a similar cultural or linguistic background and support from school teachers facilitated their children’s positive adjustments to school, whereas limited or lack of proficiency in English conversational skills hampered a few of their children’s adjustments to school. Parents also outlined the role of families, school teachers, and educators in childcare settings in enabling Bangladeshi children’s smooth transition to school. A noteworthy finding of this study was that language barriers precluded many Bangladeshi parents from accessing information on school curriculum and transition to school and from collaborating with school teachers. The language barriers also hindered a few children’s smooth transition to school. The implications of this study are that educators need to be sensitive to and address the linguistic issues that impact on Bangladeshi children and their families in making a smooth transition to school. Introduction Transition to school is a major event in the lives of children and their families. It is one of the life-changing experiences for children, with significant implications for their identity development (Ecclestone, Biesta Hughes, 2010; Woods, Boyle Hubbard, 1999, as cited in Brooker, 2002). Further, children’s first experiences with formal schooling have implications for their wellbeing, lifelong learning and educational achievements (Alexander Entwisle, 1988; Brooker, 2008; Hamre Pianta, 2001; McClelland, Morrison Holmes, 2000; West, Sweeting Young, 2008). Therefore, it is imp