Abstract:
In a child's eyes starting school is a rite of passage, associated with increased status. Children even link physical growth with this enhanced status - one boy said, 'I bet I grow a couple of inches.' Starting school is a period of transition and adjustment - a moving from the known to the unknown. The two diary extracts, kept by parents the week before their child started school, show how important parents are in helping their child to navigate these uncertain waters.
Journal issue: