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Parent Information

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When should your child start kindergarten?

Starting Age Calculator

It’s important families understand when their child starts at kindergarten directly relates to the age they will start at primary school. When enrolling at Three-Year Old Kindergarten we encourage families to plan ahead and consider this.

Childrens learning and development does not follow a straight line – Each child learns differently throughout their early years.

Deciding when your child should start school is a decision best made when your child is closer to primary school age. For this reason, there won’t be a second year of funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten available. All children in a Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program will move onto Four-Year-old Kindergarten the following year.

A second year of funded Four-Year-Old Kindergarten will be considered when a child shows delays in key areas of learning and development. Services will notify and work alongside parents or guardians if this is the case.

For more information, please visit the ‘Best Start, Best Life – Give you child the best start’ initiative by the Victorian Government.

Practical Information for Parents

Learn about children’s developmental milestones.

Understand what to expect from an early childhood education and care service.

What can be done at home to encourage your child’s learning and development.

What are the different types of education and care services.

Find services and learn about their ratings, fees, vacancies and inclusions.

FAQs

Why should my child go to kindergarten?

Kindergarten is an important step for young children and is strongly recommended for all children.

Research shows that kindergarten improves children’s health and wellbeing, helps them to develop strong social skills and encourages a love of learning.

Children who go to a kindergarten program are more independent and confident and are more likely to make a smooth transition to primary school (Prep). Kindergarten programs provide a good foundation for children, on which they will build and develop through primary school and beyond.

What happens at kindergarten?

A high-quality kindergarten program will offer your child a range of learning experiences and activities that are both stimulating and fun. Your child’s learning and curiosity will be encouraged through experiences and activities, such as exploring the natural world, being exposed to new ideas and solving problems.

Your child will be able to:

  • learn to work with others and make friends through group activities and cooperative play
  • express their creativity, for example, through dance, movement and art
  • build their communication skills by listening to and having conversations with the educators and other children
  • develop the skills that they need for reading, writing and mathematics.

A broad experience

Attending a kindergarten program provides an opportunity for your child to learn about their world alongside other children.  By attending a kindergarten program, your child will develop a range of life  skills, including:

  • working with others in a group by listening to, and respecting the ideas  of others
  • sharing and handling conflicts with  other children
  • building self-awareness and confidence through play-based exploration
  • developing new relationships with adults
  • making new friends

Learning

Kindergarten provides a safe and supportive place for your child to explore their capacity for learning through play. Children learn at different rates, in different ways and at different times.

When attending kindergarten, your child will have the opportunity to:

  • develop independence by taking part  in the routines of the program
  • extend their vocabulary and communication skills
  • develop and enhance their reading  and writing skills
  • begin to explore numeracy and science
  • develop future learning and enquiry skills by exploring different ways of learning and problem solving

What will my child gain through attending 2 years of kindergarten?

Children learn more quickly in their first 5 years of life than any other time. Kindergarten provides children with an environment that encourages and supports their development. Kindergarten gives your child the opportunity to explore the world and gives them a solid foundation to learn the skills that are required for Primary School.

Kindergarten provides opportunities to:

· Develop communication and literacy skills
· Develop independence and responsibilities to gain confidence and a feeling of self-worth
· Learn social skills such as listening and respecting other people’s ideas
· Build self-awareness and respect for others
· Learn to be creative
· Experience maths, social studies and science
· Use technology
· Discover the joy of learning
· Make new friends

Children learn these skills through a play-based curriculum where they are able to make choices and share in decision making.

Children are provided with the opportunity to develop caring relationships with adults as well as friendships with other children. The best outcomes for children are achieved when kindergarten staff and parents work in close partnership.

Support for parents

Kindergarten gives families and carers the opportunity to get to know other families. Talk with kindergarten staff to get help with any concerns about your child and to celebrate your child’s achievements. Attending kindergarten can also assist families whose child may need extra help. Through links to other local early childhood services kindergarten staff can help families to access a range of early years support services.

Supporting the transition from kindergarten to school

Attending kindergarten will help your child develop the skills necessary to flourish at school. All children attending a kindergarten program in the year before school will receive a Transition Learning and Development Statement.

Transition to school is not a point-in-time event, but an experience that extends from before the end of the kindergarten program and into the Prep year.

Your child’s Transition Learning and Development Statement will help your child’s Prep teacher to get to know your child before they start the new school year and to plan curriculum to support your child’s learning and development when they start school.

All children can attend kindergarten

Kindergarten is for all children. If your child has a disability or learning difficulty, the educators will talk with you about how the program and environment can support your child.

If you need support to enroll your child in a kindergarten program or to find a program that suits your family contact your local council.

What does kindergarten cost?

From 2023 the Victorian State Government is funding kindergarten programs for all eligible children for both the first and second years of kindergarten. Therefore kindergarten is free for those children.

If your child attends a long-daycare program as well as a kindergarten program, The Victorian Government will fund up to $2,000 towards your child’s kindergarten fees.

For more information on the roll-out please visit the Victorian Education and Training website.

How many hours a week can my child go to kindergarten?

All children attending kindergarten the year before school entry are eligible to attend 15 hours per week.

Children attending the first year of kindergarten (previously called three-year-old kindergarten) are able to access between 5 and 15 hours per week. These hours are dependant on the size of the kindergarten and the number of children enrolled.

Do you need an interpreter

The Victorian Government provides a free interpreter service for families attending funded kindergarten programs. Ask your child’s kindergarten educator or phone ECKA for further information. P: 5339 5055.

How do I prepare my child for Kindergarten?

There are a range of things you can do to prepare your child for kindergarten:
•  Talking to your child about what to expect. Parents and Guardians can read, download and/or print the kindergarten handbook for their chosen service via the ‘Our Centres’ page for more information to assist with their explanation.
•  Reading to your child every day.

•  Use the ECKA website ‘Our Centres’ page to show the child the photos, 3D tours and videos we have of the service.
•  Packing a change of clothes for your child and labelling all belongings.
•  Encouraging your child to be independent. For example, dressing themselves, so they can manage tasks like taking their jumper on and off.
•  Having practice runs taking your child to the kindergarten before their first day.
•  Coming up with a goodbye ritual. At first you may want to stay to make sure your child feels secure, but once they settle in, a short goodbye encourages independence.
•  Keeping kindergarten staff informed of changes in your child’s life that might affect their experiences at kindergarten.

Does my child need to be immunised before commencing kindergarten?

Yes, the Victorian Government’s new No Jab, No Play law requires all Victorian children to have a record of immunisation to be enrolled in childcare and kindergarten, unless they have a medical reason.

For more information, including what you need to do if your child is or is not fully immunised, please visit the No Jab, No Play – Better Health Channel website by the Victorian Government.

Resources for Parents

Routine Excursions Permission Form 2023
9/11/22 | 232.303 MB
Tipsheet- Others Looking After your Child/Babysitters
1/10/20 | 184.761 MB
Tipsheet- Teach Children to Keep Safe
1/10/20 | 193.41 MB
Tipsheet- Babysitting Checklist
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COVID-19 Parent Info sheet – VIC Maternal and Child Health Services
6/8/20 | 1120.312 MB
Childcare or Kindergarten Immunisation Brochure
23/7/20 | 261.551 MB
Immunisation Schedule
23/7/20 | 81.717 MB
Your Childs Most Important Teacher Newsletter
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Your child is Unique Newsletter
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Wellbeing Newsletter
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Support Decision Making
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Sharing Books with your Child
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Screen Time
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Responding to your Baby Newsletter Love Leads to Learning
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Partnerships Working Together
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Learning To Get Along
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Learning Through Play Newsletter
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Involved Learner Newsletter
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How Your See Your Child Newsletter
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High Quality Education
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Help your Child Manage Seperations
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Having Conversations with your Child
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Everyday Learning Newsletter
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Encouraging your Child to be Active
3/10/19 | 285.787 MB
Encouraging Children to Cope with their Feelings
3/10/19 | 261.098 MB
Encourage Strengths and Interests Newsletter
3/10/19 | 271.177 MB
Early Learning Newsletter
3/10/19 | 277.387 MB
Courageous Conversations
3/10/19 | 216.155 MB
Connect with the World Newsletter
3/10/19 | 204.017 MB
Communication Network
3/10/19 | 210.836 MB
Child Identity Newsletter
3/10/19 | 237.737 MB
Build Resilience Newsletter
3/10/19 | 218.151 MB
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