Socialization into schooling : a case-study of three-year-olds in Kindergarten

Abstract

This dissertation is designed to study the very first type of transition that children have to face at an early age of three years. It investigates, amongst other things, the behaviour of children on entry together with their reactions to this new social setting. This study deals also with the interactional patterns children use in order to interact with their peers and the problems they encounter during this process. The role the teachers have in shaping the childrens' behaviour in class is also mentioned. A detailed account is given on the socialization process and the adaptation patterns that children assume in order to make themselves comfortable in this new world as the school is to them. This dissertation also aims to find out what are the necessary prerequisites that need to be implemented in order to bridge the gap between home and nursery school.