Childs fear before enrolling into first

• The child’s fear before, during and after enrolling in first grade

  

Prof. PhDr. Lenka Šulová, CSc., PhDr. Simona Hoskovcová, Ph.D.,

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague EUSARF Dortmund 2016 an unpleasant emotion, an

• uncomfortable experience accompanied by neurovegetative symptoms such as turning pale, shaking, quickening breath and heart rate, increase of blood pressure and promptness to self- defense or to run away. In contrast to anxiety, fear is a standard reaction to real danger
• Fear is:
• Fear develops with age, from infants’ simple reactions of shock up to reactions to more complex situations, constituted by unfamiliar settings, unexpected sensory stimuli, separation from the mother and close contacts, fear coming from one’s own experiences or the fear linked to one’s imagination. The tendency to feel fear relates to constitutional qualities of an individual and his emotional lability or stability (Harl, Hartlová, 2000).

• Fear is:
• Fear is a natural and very important emotion for survival. Everyone is afraid of something different and it is true that every person has a different method to overcome fear.

• It is natural and necessary to be afraid, as it is associated with the impulse of self- preservation.

  Fear is natural

• The threat can exist in reality or only in the imagination. The child’s fear of school can be at first induced by his imagination, fear of the unknown; it can be consequently caused by existing classmates, teachers and even parents.
• The child may feel insecure before enrolling in school.
• The child’s fear of school should most definitely not be demeaned and laughed at. On the contrary, the parent should now just provide social support to the child, which he expects.

• A child’s fear of school can appear out of the blue, without any former difficulties. Fear can quickly disappear, but yet it can return and persevere (Keller  Thewalt, 1986).
• Somatic and physical causes

• Children who are qualified as more sensitive display

  very similar manifestations. It is enough to give them a

  small stimulant to evoke anxiety, fear, shock. They are often more sensitive to feel pain, they cope worse with

  changes (for example even change of light intensity or

  quick change of weather), they react worse to bug

  bites, they are the “sensitive flowers” with whom it is

  necessary to interact slower, more gradually and softly

  than with others.
• Origins of differences in children’s expressions of fear and timidity:
• It is possible to include children with a lower tolerance of stress to this category. They react to pressure with fear, panic, escapist or aggressive projections sooner than other children.

• Another group of children that may be affected more often by this problem are those who are less able to adapt. It is harder for them and takes them longer to cope with change. Changing the everyday regime is a more difficult task.
• Somatic and physical causes
• If we are to speak about mental causes, it is necessary to mention personality dispositions that are determined (same as the aforementioned somatic causes) by inherited, prenatal, perinatal and postnatal development. Here we can speak about the child’s temperament, speed of reactions, level and way of thinking, memory, perceptiveness, maturity of motor skills, the so-called social maturity of the child or social intelligence, his emotional level.

• Mental causes
• It turns out that the relationship with his mother and other members of the family have a major formative effect on the child’s development. The researches of the past few years prove that it is important what ties or bonding are created between mother and child mainly during the first few years after birth.

• The child needs during his first years a very steady, caring and loving person, who has enough self- confidence to fulfil the mother role.
• Mental causes
• However, when the mother herself is not too confident in her maternal role, she transfers her anxiety and insecurity onto the child.

• It is interesting that fervid and loving mothers who aroused a feeling of security (in the sense of attachment) in the child also gave him from early childhood support in his attempts to become independent (Šulová, 2004).
• Mental causes
• Teachers and governesses of small schoolchildren can very well identify in the group of children those who are “over-scared”, who react in panic, defend their face upon sharper movement and hide whenever someone raises their voice. It happens in cases when they are witnesses of family violence, and if this violence is imposed onto themselves, they become scared, psychologically blackmailed and otherwise insecure. It is therefore only natural that they are scared and feel tense whenever they find themselves in a new situation.

• Social causes
• Let’s also mention fears undertaken in our own family environment from some sort of tradition, loyalty or based on some often observed model of behaviour. If the mother of the family is scared of a spider and gets startled by it every time until someone in her proximity gets rid of it, it is possible that also her child will adapt these reactions.

• Social causes
• new and unfamiliar environment

• they must leave something familiar, stable and often even emotionally coloured – their home
• at school, many things can be incomprehensible
• is introduced to different models of behaviour of teachers and also children
• Why is the child scared of school?
• Some children are scared of something completely specific, sometimes based on his fantasy and creativity

• Increased assertiveness or aggression during competitions can fully paralyze a more sensitive child.
• Some children have complications accepting foreign authority.
• Why is the child scared at school?
• Study “Transient moments in the life path of the child and adolescent”, 2012-16

• sponsored by the Grant Agency of the Czech

  Republic.

• Researchers: Hoskovcová, Krejčová, Šulová

• Question: Do resilient factors (self-efficacy)

  in the child change during transition? Do resilient factors (self-efficacy) and/or expectations predict adaptation?
• Research activities
• 4 moments of transitions:

• 1) transition to kindergarten
• 2) transition to first grade
• 3) transition from grammar school to junior high school
• 4) transition from junior high school to senior high school
• Study “Transient moments in

  the life path of the child and

we observed:

• the autoregulation of the child,
• his initiative,
• expressions of behaviour,
• interpersonal relations
• transition to first grade
• During transition 3 times of data collection in each group of children:

• 1) before the change (May/June)
• 2) shortly after the change (end of September)
• 3) after 3 months – adaptation should be finished (end of November)

• As the assessment of preschoolers’ self-efficacy and

  expectations about the demands of the first grade are methodologically complicated, we decided to use parents rating before the change (data May/June) and teachers rating after the change (September and November).
• Research method
• May/June 2015: parents filled in the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment – Preschool (DECA-P2, LeBuffe, Naglieri, 1999) and answered 3 questions related to fear about the transition

• End September 2015: teachers filled in the DECA-P2 and a

  questionnaire about adaptation problems (12 items + possibility to mention individual problems of the child).

  We realized group interviews with children in classes and

  children painted a picture on “What is good and what is bad in school.”

• End November 2015: teachers filled in the DECA-P2 and a

  questionnaire about adaptation problems (12 items + possibility to mention individual problems of the child)
• Methods
• Data collection May/June 2015 N = 109

• Age 5-7 years
• 55 male/ 56 female
• Children live in middle Bohemia
• Sample
• Item “Child expresses fear that he/she can not handle the curriculum.”

• Low fear (0-1) 93 children, moderate fear 11 and high fear (3-4) 5 children
• Item “Child expresses fear not to find friends in the new class.”
• Low fear (0-1) 97 children, moderate fear 9 and high fear (3-4) 3 children
• Item “Child expresses fear about the new teacher in the first grade.”
• Low fear (0-1) 102 children, moderate fear 6 and high fear (3) 1 child
• High fear in more then 1 item express 2 children only
• Expectations about entering first grade
• Outcomes DECA-P2 scales

• If we compare the mean scores of the Czech sample with the US norm, the strongest resilient factor seems to be the self-regulation. The Czech sample is weaker in attachment/relationships. ^{DECA-P scale Initiative Self-regulation Attachment/ Relationships Behavioral concerns Mean 25,58 25,95 29,51 10,03 Median}
^{26 26 29,5 10 Modus 26 26 27 10 Standard dev. 4,06 3,63 2,99 4,28 Minimum 14 13 22 2 Maximum 34 35 36} 24<
• Resilient factors in preschoolers entering first grade
• Case child code PAI272, male, 6 years old, complete family, one sibling

• high fear about the transition (all 3 Items)
• DECA profile:
• Initiative 16 = very low outcome, this is an area of need
• Self-regulation 22 = under average outcome
• Attachment/Relationships 32 = average outcome

• Behavioral concerns 18 = high outcome, this is an area of need

• Without deeper knowledge of the child we see a low initiative

  and at the same time disturbing and aggressive behavior to other children. We could recommend to learn the child to build friendships (build on the good level of relationships) with other strategies, than with aggressive acts. For example how to say “I would like to play with you ”
• Fear of the transition – use
• We have been partly occupied with this problematic from 2008 to 2012 .

• We observed the relation between time dedicated to school, school grades and the pupil’s level of

  independence. We were interested in the overall impact

  of the amount of at-home school preparation conducted

  by the child on family relations. The research mapped the specific method of school preparation within the frame of the family, level of difficulty of the home preparation and the extent of parent or sibling participation. The parents’ motivation to intervene during the child’s preparations for school was in the centre of our attention.
• The study by Šulová and Morgensternová, sponsored by the Grant Agency of the
• Quantitative data was filled in with qualitative figures received within the scope of focus groups with children, parents and even teachers.

• We were focused on gender specifications and made the attempt to compare the children’s situations on an intercultural level in the Czech Republic, France and Canada.
• Study by Šulová and
• Šulová, L., Morgensternová, M., Škrábová, M.: First results

  from Czech study of home preparation for school in the first five years of school attendance. In: Catarsi, E., Pourtois, J.P. (Eds.):Educatione familiare e servizi per l´infanzia, tomo primo, Firenze University Press, Florence, 2011, 234-252.

• Šulová, L., Škrábová, M.: Psychological aspects of home preparataions during the first two years of school attendance.

  Czechoslovak psychology, LVII (2), 2013,170-178. (Psychologické aspekty domácí přípravy v prvních dvou letech školní docházky. Československá psychologie, LVII(2), 2013,170-178.)

• Šulová, L. et al.: Significance of home preparation for a young

  schoolchild. (Význam domácí přípravy pro začínajícího školáka.) Prague, Wolters Kluwer, 2014.

• Šulová, L., Škrábová, M. (2015). Psychological Aspects of Home

  Preparation in the First Two Years of School Attendance. In: Kiprianos, P., Pourtois, J. P.: Family School and Local Societies: Policies and Practices for Children, Actes du Xveme Congres De lÁIFREF a Patras en mai 2013, p. 61-71, Umons (Université Mons)

• The results of this research were then excellently

  published:
• The child has structured days into which he cannot freely intervene

• The child has to be able to put behind immediate fulfilment of his needs
• The child who was mainly loved and pampered turns overnight into a child who is expected to perform and is then assessed.
• Changes that the child must come to terms with in connection to enrolling in school
• Transition from self-centeredness to decentralization

• He must be aware of others’ opinions, he must compare himself with them, he must assess himself in accordance to the best and worst children in the class.
• Coexist even with children who he does not like and who are unfriendly towards him.
• Changes that the child must come to terms with in connection to enrolling in school
• necessity to be subservient to a foreign adult authority that is not always just friendly and comprehensible

• significant discovery for the child that his parents cannot help him out with something
• process that is also extremely painful for many parents
• Changes that the child must come to terms with in connection to enrolling in school
• Lead the child towards independence in the long term

• Speak to the child about school and what to expect there
• Try to help the child create a positive image of school and to never frighten him with school attendance
• Prepare for school together with the child (shopping for

  school tools, preparing a working place, pretending to be at

  school, visiting the school)

• Help the child change his habits in accordance to the future

  school regime (sleep, alimentation…)

• Pay attention to preparations of how enrolling at school will

  happen
• How can parents facilitate their child’s adaptation to school?
• Have enough time for the child during his first day of enrolling at school

• Pass on basic information about the child to the teacher (for example: the child is afraid

  of going to school due to a family member’s recent death)
• In cases of misunderstanding, try to find mutual explanations, solutions with the teachers.
• Establish a regular regime after the child’s enrolment at school also after classes
• Grant the child advantages alongside new responsibilities
• Praise the child for what he is doing well at in school
• Show the child what school is useful for during all shared activities
• Do not demean the child’s worries and fears and instead help him overcome them
• Give the child time to spend time with classmates even after school, bring the classmates along to family activities
• Engage in school activities
• Help the child with his school preparations, but without doing them for him
• How can parents facilitate their child’s adaptation to school?
• Organize open days for future schoolchildren

• Enrolments should be organized by the first graders‘ future teachers
• Try to establish an individual/personal approach already at the enrolment and consider information given about the children.

• Create a positive atmosphere in the classroom (self-introduction to the

  children, attend to the children’s reciprocal acquaintance)
• Modify the classes to the students’ abilities, especially during the first few weeks (provide breaks for exercise more often, allow them to have a drink)

• Inform the parents about possible difficulties in adaptation and help find

  a solution.

• Find a mutual explanation or solution during possible misunderstandings

  with the parents or children.
• How can parents facilitate their child’s adaptation to school?

• Brikciová, K., Šulová, L.: Poruchy příjmu potravy u dětí v předškolním a

  mladším školním věku, in: Šulová, L.(Ed.):Problémové dítě a hra, Praha, RAABE, 2006

• Fraňková, S., Pařízková,J., Malichová, E.: Jídlo v životě dítěte a adolescenta, Praha, Karolinum, 2013
• Hartl, Hartlová
• Keller, G., Thewalt, B.: So helfe ich meinem Schulkind. Wiesbaden: Verlag Quelle Meyer, Heidelberg, 1982.

  

• Klégrová, J.: Máme doma prvňáčka. Praha, Mladá fronta, 2003.
• Kutálková, D. : Jak připravit dítě do 1. třídy. Praha, Grada, 2010.
• Matějček, Z. : Co, kdy a jak ve výchově dětí. Praha, Portál, 1999.
• Literature

• Šulová, L., Škrábová, M. (2015). Psychological Aspects of Home Preparation in the

  First Two Years of School Attendance. In: Kiprianos, P., Pourtois, J. P.: Family School

and Local Societies: Policies and Practices for Children, Actes du Xveme Congres De

lÁIFREF a Patras en mai 2013, p. 61-71, Umons (Université Mons)

• Šulová, L., et al. (2014). The Importance of Home Preparation for a Beginning

  Student. Wolters Kluwer, Prague, p. 248

• Šulová, L. (2011). Current Czech Family. In: Gillernová, I., Kebza, V., Rymeš, M.

  (Eds.) et al., Psychological Aspects of Changes in Czech Society Life. Prague: GRADA, 2011, p. 106-119, pp. 256

• Šulová, L., Morgensternová, M., Škrábová, M.: First results from Czech study of

  

home preparation for school in the first five years of school attendance. In: Catarsi,

• Šulová, L. (2010). Early School Age – Child´s Entrance to School. In: Šulová, L. (Ed.):

  In September He/She Will Go to School, Prague: RAABE, p. 1 - 18, ISSN 1804-0160

• Šulová, L. (2009). Going to School in September. Prague: Raabe, ISSN 1804-0160
• Literature