In late October, Senator Matt O’Sullivan visited the Y WA Yappara House Early Learning Centre (ELC) to see the positive impact of our School ReadY Program firsthand.
He was joined by Y WA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Tim McDonald and Yappara House Centre Director, Leeanne Coombes, who were excited to show the Senator how the program is benefiting children at the centre.
The School ReadY Program, designed for children aged three to five, focuses on developing early language and literacy skills, to prepare young learners for both school and life.
Leanne Coombes, Centre Director at Yappara House, was delighted to have Senator O’Sullivan visit. She shared how the program has spared enthusiasm and engagement among the children 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.
“Our staff have had 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.
Ms. Coombes also highlighted the positive response from families, who are now accessing more resources provided and want to know more about what the children are learning and how they can reinforce this learning at home.
Y WA literacy specialist Renee Chakaodza, who has been working closely with Yappara House staff to implement the program, spoke about the progress she’s seen among the children.
“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, who has a strong relationship with Y WA, emphasized the critical role of early learning in shaping a child’s educational path.
“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.”
Dr Tim McDonald, CEO of Y WA, reinforced the program’s importance in setting children up for success from an early age.
“School ReadY is giving them access to a tailor-made program which assists them to learn at an early age because unfortunately, when you begin formal schooling and you are developmentally behind, this can have lifelong detrimental impacts,” he said.
“We are already seeing the impacts of this valuable program as we observe our educators engaging with children. At the Y 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 added, “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!”