With regard to enhancing education for all, one important aspect is to ensure that all children start school successfully. The transition to school is regarded as a “sensitive period” (Rimm-Kaufman/Pianta 2000) for children’s later achievement. However, some children face difficulties during this transition. This paper focuses on children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families. Within the German school system, this group is disproportionately often challenged by institutional barriers at school start (Bellenberg/Im Brahm 2010).
The ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner/ Morris 1998) and the “ecological and dynamic model of transition” (Rimm-Kaufman/Pianta 2000) emphasize the importance of the different microsystemic contexts and their dynamic interrelatedness. Developing parent-professional partnership is considered important for further professional development in early childhood institutions (Dunlop/Fabian 2007) and in schools (Epstein 2001). Previous research indicated the influence of parent-teacher interaction on students’ achievement (Galindo/Sheldon 2012). However, according to Wildenger and McIntyre (2010) schools predominately use low intensity transition practices and families of lower socioeconomic status appear (even) less involved. According to Crozier and Davis (2007) schools are hard to reach for families from minority groups. Concerning conflicts between parents and professionals, Lake and Billingsley (2000) identified the impact of discrepant views on the child and on his or her needs. With respect to the transition, Barbarin et al. (2008) reported different views of parents, educators and teachers regarding the preparation of the child for school.

Against this backdrop, this paper refers to the following questions: How do parents and professionals perceive the role of themselves and others in supporting the child’s learning and development in preschool and school context? How can cooperation between parents and professionals be described? How do parent-professional relationships develop during the transition from preschool to school?

The paper presents results of the research project “Learning experiences during the transition from early education to school” (2008-2013). The study is funded by the Federal State Department for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany.
Following an ecological perspective on the transition and socio-constructivist conceptualisation of learning (Lave/Wenger 2007, Werning 2010) the study explores parents, educators and teachers’ constructions on the child’s learning and development during the transition from preschool to school. The project’s goal is to develop a deeper understanding of the social relatedness of learning and developmental processes of children from families who are regarded as socioeconomically disadvantaged during this transition. The project is based on a multidimensional conceptualisation of socioeconomic disadvantage following the concept of life domains (Lebenslagenkonzept, Glatzer/Hübinger 1990).
The main research questions of the study refer to the ways parents, educators and teachers construct the child as a learner and to relations of these different microsystemic constructions. In this respect, divergences and convergences as well as (dis)continuities of the different perspectives are analysed.

Referring to recent efforts to integrate parents, professionals and children’s perspectives in discourse on early childhood education (Dunlop/Fabian 2007), the project contributes to an understanding of the transition period from the participants' perspective. The study refers to enhancing a successful transition by identifying relevant conditions.

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