Early years are important for children’s later educational life because during very early years children experience some important transitions in terms of their later schooling process (Dockett & Perry, 2007). For this reason, taking action for children’s education in early ages is a more effective way to make them adapt easily to the rest of their educational process. For example, while children in the UK and New Zealand begin formal compulsory schooling at the age of five, in Australia, Belgium, France, six year old children start to school, in Finland and Turkey formal schooling begins at seven years old.  Whatever, the differences between countries, a child’s transition to school and their school readiness are considered as a big step for them and their families (Fabian & Dunlop, 2008). The nature and quality of relationships between teachers and children have an impact on children’s school outcomes.  Consequently, teacher qualifications are one of the important components in the early childhood education (Ackerman, 2004). Cuskelly & Detering (2003) conducted study with Australian preschool teachers and pre-service early childhood teachers. Pre-service teachers rated social development and interaction less important. In contrast, pre-service teachers didn’t offer any strategy. Early, Pianta, Taylor and Cox (2001) also indicated that teachers who have received training on school readiness issues have in their professional lives used more and effective approaches enhancing children transition to further schooling. Early childhood educators’ qualification in terms of preparing children to the school is mostly related with how s/he has been trained (Early & Winton, 2001). This paper aimed to describe affects of “the school readiness and transition to elementary school” course as a means of understanding its contributions on prospective teachers’ views. It was shown to satisfy two sets of criteria for justification of the course’s effectiveness in the pre-service teachers’ views. Firstly, pre-service early childhood teachers’ views about what skills are most important for children who are about to begin elementary school are explored. Also, these views can provide backdrop for his or her judgments about individual children (Pianta, 2002). Secondly, examination of variables related school readiness help to oversee what will be taught, how will be taught, and which strategies will be used with preschool children. In order to develop an adequate level of education of early childhood practitioners, a school readiness and transition to elementary school course (SRTES) was added to the pre-service early childhood teacher education curriculum. The course aims to enhance pre service teachers’ knowledge about school readiness, school readiness’s indicators, assessing and supporting activities for the easy transition to elementary school (Turhan, Koç, Işıksal, & Işıksal, 2009). In the current study the following research questions and sub question were investigated;

            How does “the school readiness and transition to elementary school” course change pre-service early childhood teachers’ views towards children’s school readiness?

            a. How are pre-service early childhood teachers’ views of the definition of school readiness, importance, skills, factors, assessment, activities, and transition to elementary school related to young children’s school readiness changed after having taken “SRTES” course?

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