Every child deserves the opportunity to start school ready to learn.
In Mooroopna, a powerful local partnership has been demonstrating what can happen when schools, early childhood services and community organisations work together to give children the support they need to thrive.
Now in its seventh year, the Oral Language Intervention program, an intensive intervention in speech therapy, is helping vulnerable children develop the speech, language and literacy skills that underpin their future learning.
The data is in, and across participating Mooroopna primary schools and early childhood centres, 2259 assessments were completed and 1719 individual or group interventions delivered.
Behind these numbers are children gaining confidence, discovering a love of reading and building the foundations for lifelong learning.
Teachers and speech pathologists have reported significant improvements in phonological awareness, with some Foundation and Year 1 students reading at an end-of-Year-2 level.
Early indicators also show a 2.3 percentage-point decrease in the proportion of Mooroopna children developmentally vulnerable in language and cognitive skills when commencing school.
These outcomes demonstrate the value of identifying learning needs early and responding with targeted, evidence-based support.
Just as importantly, OLI shows the difference a well-supported school community can make.
By upskilling education support staff, providing speech pathology expertise and connecting early learning with primary school, the program builds the capacity of educators, while helping children transition into school with greater confidence.
Investing in children’s language development is an investment in their futures.
When we support schools with the right expertise, partnerships and resources, we do more than improve literacy – we help children arrive ready to learn, participate and succeed.
Amanda McCulloch
Greater Shepparton Foundation executive officer
