QKindy and early childhoodEdition 1, 2016
Features
01IWelcome
04IGiving kindy kids a head start
07IMeet Sally and Possum
08IBush schools trialling kindy
09IQuality educators equal quality service
10IA day filming at family day care
12ICulture: the foundation for learning
14IBe inspired to lead in a new era
15IBest shot for flu prevention
16 IMusic scores for young kids
18 ILaw helps clear the air
19 ITriple your positive parenting skills
20 ITackling a silent epidemic
21 IWeek for little ones turns big 6-0
22 IAccept the challenge to read
Welcome
Welcome to our Winter 2016 edition of QKindy and early childhood.
We have made great progress in increasing early childhood development opportunities and lifting children’s participation in kindy throughout Queensland.
This year, the Queensland Government is improving opportunities even more for our littlest learners.
All children are born ready to learn and we’re setting up the building blocks for them to become lifelong learners.
Through a landmark five-year partnership, from 1 July this year parents can sign up their children on or before their first birthday for a 12-month free family membership with PlaygroupQueensland.
Playgroups are the perfect setting to nurture children’s natural learning abilities and can better prepare and support early learners to make the transition to more formal learning.
Allowing children in all corners of our state to benefit from kindy is high on the agenda.
We are trialling Prep teacher-delivered kindergarten programs in selected rural and remote state schools.
More than 30 children in 11 communities are experiencing face-to-face kindergarten programs in the Remote Kindergarten Pilot.
The children will enjoy kindergarten at local state schools for the remainder of the school year in rural and remote towns, experiencing the benefits of socialising with other children.
This year, we’re supporting schools throughout the state to examine their early years teaching practices.
We are committed to supporting and nurturing young minds with age-appropriate learning experiences.
Griffith University recently published the foundation paper which shaped the Queensland Government-funded Age Appropriate Pedagogies Pilot in 2015.
I encourage early childhood educators to read the foundation paper which reviews international and national research on the benefits of inspiring active, creative and engaged learners on our website at
The State Government is committed to ensuring that all Queensland children, no matter their circumstances or where they live, receive the educational opportunities they deserve, and achieve the best possible outcomes.
Kate Jones
Minister for Education
Giving kindy kids a head start
A Townsville kindy is walking the talk, showing that including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in everything they do benefits all kids and their teachers.
As soon as you set foot in the grounds of Headstart Kindergarten and Pre School in Townsville, you’re struck by the sense ofbelonging.
The lush garden and well-equipped playground makes you want to join the laughing children as they explore, create and construct under the shady gum trees.
Inside, dot paintings, posters of Indigenous sportspeople and colourful creations adorn the walls.
Brightly coloured, pint-sized furniture is carefully arranged to support learning.
Tables display dinosaurs and sea creatures, containers overflow with interesting fabrics and wooden blocks, and shelves hold resources and books to manipulate andexplore.
Every morning, Indigenous educators and Elders greet you with a smile, immediately making you feel welcome.
Today, the children are actively participating in their learning.
Some are planting seeds in a gardenbed.
An Elder is interacting with a group at the woodwork table, and at the end of the meandering garden path children are captivated by an educator reading a story aloud.
Headstart has been operating for nearly 50 years and is well known in Townsville for welcoming, educating and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and theirfamilies.
Many of the children’s and educators’ siblings, parents, aunties, uncles and cousins have attended the kindergarten over the years, giving the centre a tangible sense of family andcommunity.
Teacher Danielle Wedrat, a descendent of the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people, said the kindy had been in Currajong for longer than she had been alive.
‘A lot of my uncles and aunties came here and I’ve been involved in this place since I was little,’ Ms Wedrat said.
‘It’s known around the community for being an Indigenous centre, and families feel comfortable coming here and knowing their kids are learning from Indigenous teachers.’
She said the teachers encouraged the children to call them uncle and aunty so they would feel comfortable outside their home environment and around less familiar people.
‘The kids call me Aunty Danni.’
For many years, one of the uncles has collected kindy kids from their homes each morning in the little Headstart bus.
‘The children feel like they’re coming to spend time with their uncles and aunties when they jump on the Headstart bus,’ Ms Wedrat said.
‘It’s not such a scary thing because they’ve known us for years because their older siblings or cousins have been to the kindy, and they know thebus.
‘They see the bus and they know that’s the Headstart bus.
‘So when we come to pick them up at the beginning of the year, it’s not sodaunting.’
Director and teacher Deborah Saylor, a descendent of the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people, said a strong sense of community and incorporating culture in program delivery was vital to providing a safe, supportive, inclusive environment.
‘Being culturally inclusive adds a depth of knowledge for all children at the kindy and an opportunity for educators to enrich their learning activities,’ Ms Saylor said.
‘Culture is included in the curriculum and not just set aside for special activities.
‘As part of the curriculum, children enjoy and learn about their culture without even thinking about it.
‘There are Aboriginal patterns and paintings on display, we read Dreamtime stories and we teach the children Papunya (dot) painting in art.
‘We showcase special performers and storytelling.’
The children also benefit from regular contact with communityElders.
Well-known author Uncle Boori, who is descended from the Kunggandji and Birra-gubba people, visits the kindy regularly to tell stories.
Ms Wedrat said literacy through stories was part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture so Headstart continued that practice through sharing stories inbooks.
‘Uncle Boori is an excellent person to do that because he’s so exciting as a storyteller and he engages the children,’ she said.
‘He’s another uncle from the community coming in to share his stories, just like we used to do all those years ago.’
Ms Saylor said the kindergarten service provided a holistic approach to the children’s early development.
‘Children who attend the kindy are able to access health and dental checks,’ shesaid.
‘It’s about the child as a whole.
‘Education is only one part of the child’s development.
‘We teach the children that it’s important to have a healthy body as well as a healthy mind.’
Many early childhood services around Queensland are embracing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
Why not ask what your local kindy or long day care is doing?
You can read more about the benefits of kindy, including enrolment, preparing for and what to bring to kindy on our website at (type in “going to kindy fact sheet” in the searchbox).
‘It’s known around the community for being an Indigenous centre, and families feel comfortable coming here and knowing their kids are learning from Indigenous teachers.’ - Danielle Wedrat (teacher).
Meet Sally and Possum
These best buddies from Brisbane have signed up to help deaf and hearing-impaired kids learn early literacy and numeracy skills.
We all know those possums who scamper across our roofs in the darkness or steal our bananas, paw paws and mangoes left unattended near an open window.
Those little Aussie marsupials are cute: with their bushy tails, big eyes and pointy ears, but annoying if you’re trying to sleep or looking forward to a fruit smoothie at brunch. But did you know a possum with a mission has moved intotown?
Into his best buddy’s big, backyard tree, and his mission is to help deaf and hearing-impaired kids with their early learning.
Possum with a capital “P” and Sally, the best buddy, star in a new TV show for young kids who use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) to communicate.
The Queensland Government has recruited Sally Strobridge, a.k.a. Sally, and MelvenRatcliffe, a.k.a. Possum, fluent Auslan signers who are well respected in the deaf community, to host an educational TV show presented in sign language.
Sally and Possum, an Australian first, was born out of a need for interactive, entertaining and educational resources designed for deaf and hearing-impaired children aged three tosix.
Sometimes it’s hard for deaf and hearing-impaired kids to learn early literacy and numeracy skills which are critical to success in education and life.
That’s why the State Government commissioned a Brisbane-based creative agency to create a multi-platform, interactive package of content shaped by focus group research and expert advisors, including teachers of deaf children.
More than just a 30-episode TV series, the Sally and Possum website includes integrated mobile apps that use gaming and other techniques to help kids build on the concepts featured in the show.
Sally and Possum use play-based learning techniques to boost early literacy and numeracy development by finding fun-filled solutions to everyday problems.
They cook, make and play with help from visitors to Sally’s place, including kindy ambassador Jay Laga’aia.
Kids will learn concepts such as “up and down”, “hot and cold” and “smooth and rough”.
All kids and their siblings, friends and parents will love Sally and Possum’s antics.
Sally and Possum is proudly funded and supported
by the Australian and Queensland governments.
Watch this series and a second targeted at children aged six to eight on ABC Kids or iView, or visit the Sally and Possum website at
Bush schools trialling kindy
For most kids, a hug from a friend or a high-five from your kindy teacher is as good as it gets.
These happy moments are rare when you’re growing up in some of the most remote corners of Queensland.
In some places, the closest kindy is hundreds of kilometres away and your only playmate is a puppy, poddy calf orchook.
A new Queensland Government program is changing that.
Eleven state schools in rural and remote communities are taking part in a trial to deliver on-site kindergarten programs this year.
As part of the Remote Kindergarten Pilot, teachers are delivering kindy as part of a composite class with Prep and other primary school children.
All participating schools are at least 50km away from an approved early childhood service catering for kindy-agedchildren.
Thargomindah State School Principal Steven Bennett jumped at the chance to participate in the pilot.
‘This new option for delivering kindy is giving our children the opportunity to enjoy a high level of interaction with their teacher and others, which is something we and other remote communities haven’t had access to for a long time,’ MrBennett said.
‘Last year, the school hosted regular group activities for five local children who were taking part in eKindy (a distance education program).
‘This group included my son, Sonny, who is now in Prep, so I got to see first hand how quality early learning experiences help prepare children forschool.
‘When it came to starting school this year, Sonny just headed off happily and is now kicking goals with both feet, academically and socially.’
Mr Bennett said the Remote Kindergarten Pilot was building on the success of eKindy.
‘The pilot program has added the extra layers of social interaction and enabled children to develop familiarity with the school environment, routines and community,’ he said.
‘It is an excellent way to support children’s transition toschool.
‘We have two children doing kindy this year and it is great watching them relate and interact with the 30 other children atschool.’
Mr Bennett said he was also benefiting from the pilot as an educator and principal.
‘I have a new level of understanding and appreciation of play-based learning and age-appropriate pedagogy and it is something I plan to use to support our other younger students,’ he said.
An impact assessment of the pilot will be conducted soon to inform government decision-making on continuing the program beyond thisyear.
Visit our website at keep up to date on the pilot.
Quality educators equal quality service
When parents wave goodbye to their child at a quality early childhood service, they know they’re leaving little Emily or Tyler in safe, professional and skilled hands.
Quality services invest in their educators to make sure Emily and Tyler achieve the best social, emotional and educationaloutcomes.
Brisbane’s Windsor School Age Care Centre, which has an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating, is a service which invests in educator professional development and performance evaluation.
Windsor Service Coordinator Kathryn Mahoney said she conducted annual performance reviews with educators to identify professional goals and develop strategies to achievethem.
‘This may include identifying professional development workshops or online courses, or suggesting a good mentor or research to read,’ she said.
Ms Mahoney said she also held regular meetings with each educator to focus on the cycle of planning, documenting and reflecting on their program implementation.
‘Our educator team meets for 30 minutes, five days a fortnight to discuss a broad range of operational, behavioural and team development topics,’ Ms Mahoney said.
‘This ensures we maintain a collaborative and cohesive educator team and there’s a shared ownership of decisions.’
Ms Mahoney said the staff was surveyed annually to provide year-to-year comparative data on satisfaction and serviceperformance.
‘Windsor is fortunate to achieve high staff satisfaction and maintain low turnover,’ she said.
‘Having a consistent team is a key strength for us.
‘Parents appreciate consistency in service staff; people who get to know them over a period of time.’
Ms Mahoney said a high-performing team was critical to achieving a high rating, which was not something that could be achieved overnight.
‘You need to have already established a high standard in your daily practices,’ she said.
‘It’s not enough to wait for the ratings assessment to try to achieve an exceeding rating.’
For information on how to improve performance development planning and evaluation in your service, visit:
•Early Learning Association of Australia at (search for “Employee Management and Development Kit”)
•Children’s Services Central at (search for “Managing for good performance – a guide formanagers”)
•Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority at (search for “Topic nine — Professional development planning — Education Leaderresource”)
•Early Childhood Resource Hub at and search for “professional development planning for educators”).
Lights, camera, action: a day filming at family day care
A family day care service is always a busy place, let alone when it is the setting for a video shoot.
Recently we worked with Choices Day Care, which has an Exceeding National Quality Standards rating, and one of their educators, Nicole Milne, to produce a video showing what to look for in quality family day care.
Family day care is a personalised service, with a maximum of seven children cared for at one time in a family environment, usually at the educator’shome.
Children receive home-based individual attention and support, making family day care an attractive option for a range of families.
Younger children learn and interact with older children and build relationships that last throughout their care.
Our shoot started early with parent dropoff.
It was controlled chaos as “Miss Nicole” greeted excited children and their parents at the door, signed in and ushered children to the outdoor play area, and farewelled parents.
Ms Milne said the children had looked forward to the videoshoot.
‘They are so excited to be part of the filming and have been talking about it for days.’
The children, ranging in age from toddlers to older, school-aged children, did not take long to become little actors.
They played and performed for our cameras, the older ones making sure the younger ones were included ingames.