Prof

working papers in

48
Early childhood transitions research: A review of concepts, theory, and practice
By Pia Vogler, Gina Crivello and Martin Woodhead

Early Childhood Development

Cover: Little girl from the El Coro district in San Salvador, El Salvador. Photo: Jon Spaull Design: Valetti, vormgeving en communicatie, The Hague, The Netherlands Editing and proofreading: Green Ink(www.greenink.co.uk)

48
working papers in

Early Childhood Development

Early childhood transitions research: A review of concepts, theory, and practice

By Pia Vogler, Gina Crivello and Martin Woodhead

May 2008

Copyright © 2008 by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Netherlands. The Bernard van Leer Foundation encourages fair use of this material. Proper citation is requested. Thispublication may not be resold for profit.

About the authors
Pia Vogler is a research assistant for ‘Young Lives’ and a DPhil candidate in the Department of International Development
(QEH), University of Oxford. She has been a consultant for UNHCR and is currently carrying out doctoral research on the

daily, seasonal and life course transitions of Karen children in Thailand.

Gina Crivellois an anthropologist and Child Research Coordinator for ‘Young Lives’, based at the Department of International Development (QEH), University of Oxford. Her research interests include the gender and inter-generational dynamics of child migration and youth transitions in developing-country contexts.

Martin Woodhead is Professor of Childhood Studies at The Open University and Child ResearchDirector for ‘Young Lives’. His research and publications include early childhood development, education and care, children’s rights and child labour. He is co-editor of the journal Children & Society, a member of the editorial board for Childhood and advisory board for Journal of Early Childhood Research.

The authors are members of the research team for ‘Young Lives’, a 15-year longitudinal studyof child poverty in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam, including quantitative and qualitative studies related to service access, transitions and well-being (see p. 24).

Citation
Vogler, P., Crivello, G. and Woodhead, M. (2008) Early childhood transitions research: A review of concepts, theory, and practice. Working Paper No. 48. The Hague, The Netherlands: Bernard van LeerFoundation.

ISSN 1383-7907 ISBN 978-90-6195-103-2

Contents
Executive summary Introduction Chapter 1: Development and transition Chapter 2: The structure of transitions Chapter 3: Transitions within systems Chapter 4: Children’s participation in transitions Conclusion Glossary: Some major concepts relevant to transitions research
Bibliography v 1 5 15 23 31 37 39 43

v

Executive summaryChildren face many important changes in the first eight years of life, including different learning centres, social groups, roles and expectations. Their ability to adapt to such a dynamic and evolving environment directly affects their sense of identity and status within their community over the short and long term. In particular, the key turning points in children’s lives – such as‘graduating’ from kindergarten to primary school or going through a culturally specific rite of passage – provide challenges and opportunities for learning and growth on multiple levels. This paper provides a review of the major perspectives in research on early childhood transitions and reveals the predominant areas of focus in both academic and professional studies, as well as important neglected viewpointsand study populations. Beginning with a broad and inclusive definition of the topic, the authors provide an overview of early childhood transitions research, highlighting the underlying Several examples in this review show how multidisciplinary collaboration and culturally sensitive interventions can result in better participation of both parents and children in crucial early childhood...