Transitions from early childhood education and care (ECEC) to school represent a critical period in children’s education. Within both research and policy contexts, there’s broad consensus that implementing practices supporting continuity across these transitions contributes positively to children’s learning, development and wellbeing outcomes.
AERO conducted a rapid review of recent literature (published from 2020 to 2025) on transition, continuity of learning and discontinuity of learning between ECEC and school. This research summary shares insights from this review, challenging binary interpretations of continuity as positive and discontinuity as inherently negative, and highlighting what research suggests matters most for supporting successful transitions between settings.
Keywords: ecce, starting school