Reframing the Novice Versus Expert Roles of Children, Parents, and Teachers from a Cultural Perspective

Researchers have long recognized that the transition to school for young children is one of the most important steps in their development (Entwisle & Alexander, 1993; Mangione & Speth, 1998; Ramey & Ramey, 1994). Beyond the educational process, children also must learn to negotiate which attitudes and behavior habits are most adaptive to the school culture (Beery, 1984). School represents one of the first formal settings in which children are faced with new ideas and ways of doing things. Although this process may appear unilateral, sociocultural factors such as race/ethnicity, region of origin, and social class play important parts in shaping how the transition to school is perceived, how children are prepared for it, and how easily the transition is made (Doucet, 2000; Swick, Brown, & Boutte, 1994). This chapter presents the argument that the transition to