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For around 38,000 children in Saxony, a new chapter in their lives will begin this Saturday (15 August). Starting school can be an exciting and proud moment, but it can also leave children feeling uncertain or overwhelmed. Children have to find their feet in a new environment, build relationships and adjust to new rules and routines. Researchers at Leipzig University are investigating the role that dependable relationships, emotional security and social-emotional skills play in the transition to school.
“A good start at school is about more than learning to read, write and do arithmetic. Children need dependable relationships, emotional security and confidence in their ability to cope with new challenges. When parents and teachers recognise and nurture children’s social and emotional strengths, they lay an important foundation for well-being, learning and healthy development,” explains Professor Tina Malti, Founding Director of the Humboldt Science Centre for Child Development (HumanKind) at Leipzig University.
What families can do
- Parents and other caregivers can support children by practising important routines together, such as the journey to school, getting ready in the morning and packing their school bag. It is also helpful to talk openly about expectations, excitement and fears, and to take children’s feelings seriously.
- Children should gradually be allowed to take responsibility for age-appropriate tasks themselves. Wherever possible, parents should avoid putting them under pressure to perform or comparing them with others. Instead, they can recognise effort, curiosity and individual progress, while helping children understand that making mistakes is part of learning.
- Social relationships also help children thrive. Spending time with their peers, talking about consideration for others and resolving conflicts, and seeing kindness and helpfulness modelled in everyday family life all provide valuable guidance.
Social-emotional skills at the heart of the research
Social-emotional skills include emotional regulation, empathy, self-compassion, the ability to cooperate and the ability to cope with stress. They help children manage their emotions, build relationships, resolve conflicts and accept support.
HumanKind researchers take a strengths-based approach to studying this development, focusing on each child’s resources, relationships and potential for growth. As part of the international SWITCH study, they are examining the transition from early childhood education and care to primary school in Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Austria between late March 2025 and 2028.
The children and their families are being followed at several points over this period. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how social relationships, well-being, healthy development and academic skills interact up to the end of the first year of school. In the longer term, the findings will be used to develop evidence-based recommendations for families, early years practitioners, schools and policymakers.
Text: Dr Madlen Mammen
Dr Madlen Mammen
HumanKind
Team Lead Science Communication and Public Affairs
phone: +49 341 97-31849
e-mail: madlen.mammen@uni-leipzig.de
Dr Marlon Göring
HumanKind
Operational lead for the SWITCH project
phone: +49 341 97-31872
e-mail: marlon.goering@uni-leipzig.de
https://www.uni-leipzig.de/switch SWITCH study
https://www.humankind.uni-leipzig.de/en Humboldt Science Centre for Child Development (HumanKind) at Leipzig University
Prof Dr Tina Malti
Quelle: Antje Gildemeister
Copyright: Leipzig University
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
Journalisten, Lehrer/Schüler
Pädagogik / Bildung, Psychologie
überregional
Forschungsprojekte
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