What is a “million word gap”? This term has been coined following a recent university study finding that children whose parents read them five books a day go into kindergarten having heard about 1.4 MILLION words more than children who are never read to. No time to read five books a day? Even kids who are only read one book a day will still hear about 290 000 more words by the time they are five years old than those who aren’t read to at home. Author of the study, Jessica Logan, says “Kids who hear more vocabulary words are going to be better prepared to see those words in print when they enter school. They are likely to pick up reading skills more quickly and easily.”

Plus, it’s not just the words kids hear during story time. Parents usually talk to their kids about the book they're reading, or add their own details to the story. This added talk reinforces new vocabulary and may introduce even more words. In addition, all important skills of comprehension are also honed during this discussion time.

There’s no reason to stop sharing books aloud with your children just because they have learnt to read themselves! Reading with your children can continue to be a cherished pastime for many years, and for good reason! Not only does it promote togetherness, but it teaches kids important skills they’ll use later in life. And if you’re really striving for the best results, researchers say to skip the e-books and stick to print books when you’re snuggling up for a story.

The Early Years have welcomed two new students, Imogen Earley and Koby Ashurst and both have joined Year 1D in the last few weeks. Imogen likes the fact that she is able to see her cousin at school, and Koby likes being able to go and play soccer with his friends at OLSCC. Welcome Imogen and Koby!

During the week, I have had the pleasure of visiting many of the Kindergartens and Daycare centres in town, discussing some of the upcoming events that are occurring at OLSCC over the next couple of terms. We have invited younger children to join our community for these special celebrations, including

• National Simultaneous Story time on 22 May
• Book Week Costume Parade on 22 August
• Under 8’s Festival of Fun (under 8’s day) on 19 September 

Various members of our staff have enjoyed interacting with the children in their Kindy and Daycare settings and we will continue these regular visits throughout the year.

The first of our Preppie for a Morning sessions occurs next Thursday, 9 May with an opportunity for incoming Preps and their parents to observe and interact with a Prep class in action. If you know anyone interested in attending, please encourage them to RSVP to the College office.

Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years