Goodstart Early Learning Calala

Ever had one of those "What should I be doing with my child?" moments? You might already have the answer at home.

Earlier this year, every Goodstart family received a What & When for Families guide for each child. If it's been tucked away in a drawer since then, now might be the perfect time to pull it back out.

The guide is packed with simple, play-based activities that support your child's learning and development at home. Best of all, it's written in your child's voice, with ideas tailored to their age and developmental stage.

From singing songs with babies and playing peek-a-boo, to "I Spy" games, storytelling and treasure hunts with older children, the activities are designed to fit naturally into everyday moments you already share together.

We know learning doesn't only happen in the classroom. Those small moments at home can help build big communication, language and literacy skills.

Take another look through your What & When for Families guide to explore age-appropriate activities and learning ideas you can try together.

💛 Sometimes the best learning resource is the one you already have at home.

Our Educators and children have signed up to do 100 skips a day throughout August to raise money for Children’s Medical Research Institute and help save more kids’ lives.

Today is double donation day and we would love your support! Please click the link below to donate
https://fundraise.jeansforgenes.org.au/fundraiser/GoodstartEarlyLearningCalala/skipping-challenge-2026.

Did you know we invested $65.5M into our social purpose last year, a 14% increase on the year before? 👏 At Goodstart, we're proud of the impact we have on children, families and communities. As a not‑for‑profit, every dollar we earn is reinvested to improve outcomes – from high‑quality learning and educator development to extra support for children who need it most.
Because when we put children first, the impact goes further 💛

The research is clear 📚 reading aloud is one of the most powerful things we can do for our children.

When we read with a child, we’re doing far more than sharing a story. We’re building the foundations for language, confidence, curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.

Decades of research shows that children who are read to regularly:

💛 Build stronger language skills
Hearing rich varied language in books exposes children to far more words than everyday conversation alone. This growing vocabulary helps them understand, communicate and make sense of the world.

💛 Develop early literacy skills long before they learn to read
Through stories, children learn how books work – that print carries meaning, that pages turn left to right, and that stories have a beginning, middle and end. These early understandings make learning to read feel familiar and exciting.

💛 Strengthen phonological awareness
Rhymes, rhythms and playful sounds help children hear the building blocks of language.

💛 Grow their comprehension and thinking skills
Talking together about a story, predicting what might happen, wondering how a character feels, and connecting events to real life helps children develop memory, problem-solving, and higher-order thinking.

💛 Experience connection, comfort and joy
Shared reading fosters calmness, closeness, and moments of joint attention. These warm interactions support a child's sense of security and belonging.

Most importantly, children who experience positive, engaging reading moments from a young age are more likely to develop a genuine love of books - something that matters even more than early literacy skills alone.

Reading is simple, joyful, and sets children up for success in school and life.

Here is a list of some of our favourites below 👇

🎨💛❤️🖤 The Tamworth NAIDOC Committee would like to extend a huge **thank you** to all of the schools, preschools and early learning centres that helped create the beautiful hand-painted hand waver flags for this year's NAIDOC March.

A special thank you to:

• Goodstart Calala
• Goodstart Brisbane Street
• St Mary's Preschool
• St Mark's Preschool
• Calrossy Preschool
• Milestones South
• Papilio Early Learning
• Ekidna
• Little Kindy East
• Billabong Kids Central
• St Edward's Primary School
• Nemingha Public School
• Tamworth Public School
• Tamworth South Public School
• Hillvue Public School

Thank you for helping make our NAIDOC March such a vibrant and memorable celebration. We are so grateful for your support!