Step Up: A resource targeting transition from Primary to Secondary school

Welcome

Welcome to our webpage. We hope that you will find the information and resources here helpful and easy-to-use. The resources on this page have been developed by six final year Speech Pathology students (Kathryn Langshaw, Melissa Marinelli, Kathryn Maroney, Sally Muller, Peta Newell & Hui Jing Tan). The project was supervised by Fran Callinan, a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Speech Pathologist, who specialises in school-based therapy and Dr Sue Block at La Trobe University, School of Human Communication Sciences, Australia.

Introduction

The resources you will find on this webpage are designed to help students 'Step Up' during their transition from primary to secondary school. The resources may be used by students of all abilities, from those with language and learning difficulties through to those participating in accelerated programs.

Definition

Literature has shown that the transition from primary to secondary school may be a challenging experience for students. The changes experienced by students during the transition require major adjustments on the students' behalf (Thomas & Graham, 2000). Areas of adjustment encompass changes to:

• formal institutional setting (physical payout and rules)
• informal school setting (new routines and unwritten rules)
• new academic setting (curriculum, terminology, methods and styles of assessment, evaluation and teaching methods)
• new social order (making new friends and coping with isolation)

(Education Services Project Team, 2004).

The adjustments that students face during the transition may be especially challenging for students with language and learning difficulties. According to Knesting, Hokanson, and Waldron (2008), Year 7 students with learning difficulties generally required a longer time to learn about and become comfortable with school routines when compared to peers without difficulties.

During the development stage of this project, research found that there were a limited number of readily available resources specifically targeted for students with language and learning difficulties in the transition process. Students with general learning difficulties are estimated to be about 16 per cent of the school population (Westwood, 2008). This project was designed primarily to assist these students. Interviews with school teachers and principals also confirmed the need for this project.

During the development phase, the following issues were identified:

Students with language and learning difficulties may not be adequately prepared for secondary school.

Each school has a different system in place to transfer information about the student from school to school. These systems may include transition forms, informal or formal conversations, meetings with teachers, students and their families and information nights.

The communication between primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, parents, and students may be lacking; and the involvement of all parties may not be sufficient during the transition process to adequately support the student in the new school.

With these issues in mind, the aims of the resources included in the project are to:

1. Encourage communication between parents, teachers, and students through developing a transition form which can be used as a supplement to pre-existing forms or function independently.
2. Raise teacher awareness of the differences between primary and secondary school.
3. Prepare students with language and/or learning difficulties for the transition from primary to secondary school.
4. Introduce strategies for parents to help their child with homework and build resilience.