ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the learning context created by teachers. It is based on research teachers carried out to evaluate the behaviour responses of children to starting school. The research began with the concerns of an infant teacher who felt there were increasing numbers of 'disruptive' pupils starting school. The research took place over the period of a school year with teachers who were interested in developing their understanding of children's responses in their classrooms. The actual experiences of pre-school life may not have provided opportunities for learning those things required to fit comfortably into the school setting. One difficulty that reception teachers have at children's entry to school is the proliferation of individuals who arrive on their first morning. The group went on to stress how children's responses to starting school, and the manifestation of their effectiveness or competence, depended on their preschool experiences.
