Waratah Group

Throughout the kinder year, we have experiences set up that encourage children to retell familiar stories and stories we have read. Retelling stories allows students to learn to organise and describe events, enhancing reading comprehension. It also builds vocabulary and memory, all important skills needed in reading.

Experiences at kinder include small world set ups, magnetic story sets, story stones and making their own books using cut outs. We recently started to retell stories by acting them out. The children were really interested and eager to participate and we will continue this experience in Term 4 using dress ups and props.

We also discuss stories after listening to them being read, questions we might ask include:

• Who are the characters? What are they like?
• Where did the story happen?
• What problem did the characters face? How did they solve it? How did they feel?
• Does this story remind you of any other stories you know?
• Can you think of a different way to end the story?

Mem Fox's Ten read-aloud commandments:

1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.
2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.
3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don't be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.
5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same 'tune' for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.
6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.
7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.
8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child's name and yours, remembering that it's never work, it's always a fabulous game.
9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
10. Read aloud every day because you just love being with your child, not because it's the right thing to do. This is as important for fathers as it is for mothers!

School Readiness

Many families are beginning to talk about their child going to school. The strongest indicators for a child’s positive transition to school relate to their wellbeing and belief that school will be a positive experience. Children’s social and emotional learning, including their ability to self-regulate and interact positively with others, is foundational to their ability to adapt to the school environment. A successful transition must also be supported by families, kindergarten, schools and communities working with open communication and collaboration.

No matter what experiences your child has had in their 2021 kindergarten year, they will have developed a range of skills and abilities that form the basis for lifelong learning. 

Parents and guardians can feel confident that their chosen primary school can meet the needs of their child at their point of learning and development - whatever that may be.

Some of the things schools are doing to support children’s transition to school include:

• Virtual school and classroom tours
• Kindergarten and prep teacher meetings
• Training Year 5 students to be Prep buddies
• First time prep family network
• Information booklet for new families

The Livingston Kinder teachers complete a Transition Statement for every child going to school in 2022. This Transition Learning and Development Statement summarises the children’s  abilities as they start school and identifies their individual approaches to learning. It is passed on to your child's future school. We will send more information on transition statements soon.

Looking forward to seeing everyone back in Term 4.

Louise, Kath and Tina