SENATOR Matt O’Sullivan and Y WA chief executive Tim McDonald visited Yappara House in Guildford early last week to see the School ReadY program in action.

The program was developed by Y WA to support children aged from three to five-years-old in developing early language and literacy skills they will need to start school.

The program has been active in all 14 of Y WA’s early learning centres since it was launched in August this year.

Yappara House program director Leeanne Coombes said the program has sparked the interest of the young kids at the centre.

“Since introducing this program, I have noticed that the children in our service have a higher level of confidence with their language skills. This in turn has helped them to improve their social skills and their use of imagination, which is evident during their interactions and play throughout the day,” she said.
Ms Coombes believed the program encouraged families to engage with their children’s learning journey, and staff were benefitting from additional training.

“The School ReadY program has promoted more meaningful engagement from our families and parents. They are accessing resources and information provided and want to know about what the children are learning and how they can reinforce this learning at home,” she said.

“Our staff have had the valuable opportunities to engage in professional learning which means we are upskilling and building capacity of our educators. The program materials are provided, which means that staff need to spend less time on planning, and they know what to focus on with the children.”

Y WA literacy specialist Renee Chakaodza has been working closely with Yappara House staff to set up and deliver the program, and said the process has been inspiring.

“Children are displaying increased confidence as they discuss stories, learn target vocabulary words and begin to identify sounds they can hear in words. It has been wonderful to see that families and members of the community have engaged in opportunities to learn about the program and how to support their children at home,” she said.

Senator O’Sullivan has maintained a strong relationship with Y WA and said early learning programs laid the foundations for a child’s successful journey through education.

“Seeing a session in action brought the program’s impact to life – watching young children engage, learn and develop early literacy skills was truly inspiring,” he said.

“It’s clear initiatives like this offer real benefits, setting a strong foundation for future learning and confidence.”

Y WA chief executive Dr Tim McDonald said giving children access to early learning was crucial to avoiding the long-term impacts of starting formal school developmentally behind.

“We are already seeing the impacts of this valuable program as we observe our educators engaging with children. At Y WA we believe if all children have access to a great start in the areas of literacy and language, numeracy and social and emotional wellbeing, the roll-on effect when they become adults is quite impactful,” he said.

“Together, we are building the foundation for a lifelong love of learning, ensuring our children are ready for school and ready for life. The journey continues, and we can’t wait to see the exciting developments that lie ahead.”