HEATHRIDGE Primary School is giving young children a head start with oral language and literacy skills in the year before they start kindergarten.
Early childhood teacher Yvonne Hare introduced her innovative Chatterbox pre-kindergarten language program earlier this year for children aged two to four as an extension of the school’s playgroup.
Fifteen children are spending about two hours a fortnight in the kindergarten building, enjoying hands-on language based activities.
The program encourages participation, learning and fun.
Ms Hare said Chatterbox also helped develop teacher-child and school-parent relationships, and identified any developmental delays in children.
“The rationale is based on evidence from neurosciences that suggest children in early childhood learn and grow at a faster rate than any other time, especially up to four years old,” she said.
“Therefore, learning in school is influenced by prior school experiences.”
She said children needed to feel happy, safe and secure to develop learning pathways in the brain.
“A play-based program is fun, minimises stress and maximises learning at the child’s level of development, with bonuses of social and emotional development,” Ms Hare said.
The school expects children on the Chatterbox program to continue their education at Heathridge primary.
For brochures and enrolments, call 9401 8088.