With the start of the new school year just days away, Playgroup WA recently announced its new Enhanced Transition to Schools Project, a statewide initiative to have more playgroups on or near a school site.
Mr Zarb said the initiative had already been rolled out to several WA schools, including White Gum Valley and Hilton primary schools, with the aim of nurturing the children and their parents through the important developmental years.
He said playgroup was a great place to teach children how to socialise better with other children and adults and learn the experiences that come with school, such as regular routines and habits.
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READ NOW“The project has a few different elements, the first being to get more playgroups to be hosted in schools, which is a great opportunity for families and the children to get used to the school environment,” he said.
“The social aspects of getting along with other kids and other adults are some of the most important parts of getting a child ready for school.
“It is not necessarily all about learning the ABCs, but it’s also about having those emotional and social skills.
“The other part of it is that we’re trying to promote the importance of the home play among all our families.”
Mr Zarb said as part of the promotion of home play, they had developed a range of 50 age-group specific activities, giving families simple things they could do at home and at playgroup, including bubbles, singing, reading and using playdough, as well as outlining how those activities helped the child.
He said playgroup was a great experience that many families should consider.
Visit www.playgroupwa. com.au for more information or to find a local playgroup.