Goodstart Early Learning Glenfield Park

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.

Strong relationships are the foundation for confident, curious learners 💛

Goodstart’s key educator approach ensures every child is known, supported and feels safe - through consistent, nurturing connections with educators and meaningful partnerships with families. These bonds help build wellbeing, resilience and a true sense of belonging from day one.

Discover how this approach supports your child’s learning journey: https://brnw.ch/2

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 👇

NAIDOC Week in Preschool 2

This week, Preschool 2 has been celebrating NAIDOC Week through a range of hands-on experiences that encourage learning, creativity, and respect for the rich cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The children explored Indigenous symbols through mark making and drawing, learning that symbols have been used for generations to tell stories, share knowledge, and represent people, places, animals, and journeys. The children enjoyed recreating these symbols while developing their pencil control, creativity, and fine motor skills.

Our little learners also had the opportunity to make damper, exploring a traditional bush food while measuring, mixing, and working together to create the dough. This experience encouraged teamwork, early mathematical concepts, and an appreciation for traditional practices.

These experiences provide meaningful opportunities for children to develop cultural awareness, build respect for Australia's First Nations Peoples, and engage in learning through play. We are proud to celebrate NAIDOC Week by creating environments where children can explore, ask questions, and deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Preschool 1 explored a selection of Aboriginal symbols displayed alongside brown paper and white pencils. This invitation encouraged the children to engage their drawing skills while learning about the meanings behind traditional symbols used in Aboriginal storytelling. During the experience, the children were introduced to several Aboriginal symbols, including Emu Tracks, Honey Ants, and Possum Tracks. Together, we discussed what each symbol represents before the children chose one that interested them and carefully practised drawing it themselves.

As the children recreated the symbols, they developed their fine motor skills, pencil control, concentration, and confidence while participating in meaningful conversations about Aboriginal culture and the importance of symbols in sharing stories and knowledge.

Experiences like these help foster cultural awareness, respect, and appreciation for Australia's First Nations Peoples while encouraging children to express themselves through art and visual storytelling.

NAIDOC Week in the Babies Room!

This week, we are proudly recognising 50 years of NAIDOC Week. This significant milestone celebrates the strength, resilience, achievements, and rich cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, while honouring the Elders, activists, artists, and communities who have shaped the NAIDOC movement over the past five decades.

To celebrate, Jo visited our neighbouring nature reserve to carefully collect fallen pieces of bark, providing the children with a beautiful natural resource to explore through art. Using earthy paint colours and the sticks and leaves we had collected during yesterday's nature experience, the children were invited to create their own unique artworks.

Each child was offered the experience individually, allowing them the time and space to explore at their own pace and freely express themselves through creative play. The children carefully grasped the sticks using their preferred hands, dipping them into the paint before dotting, dabbing, and making marks across the textured bark and leaves. As they explored, they strengthened their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory awareness while discovering the different textures and patterns created by the natural materials.

By incorporating elements from our local environment into our learning, we are fostering children's curiosity, creativity, and connection with nature while respectfully acknowledging and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures during NAIDOC Week.

Toddlers kicked off our NAIDOC Week celebrations by exploring a wonderful collection of books that celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, stories, and connections to Country.

To keep our little learners engaged and curious, we are sharing a different story during each group time throughout the week. This allows the children to discover new illustrations, characters, and important messages while fostering a love of reading and storytelling.

One of our favourite stories featured wallabies, and the children were so excited to spot them on every page! They eagerly pointed them out, shared their observations, and remained engaged throughout the reading experience. By making the story interactive through questions, discussions, and opportunities for the children to participate, we encouraged their curiosity and supported their understanding in a fun and meaningful way.

Reading together not only supports early language and literacy development but also helps children develop an appreciation and respect for the rich histories, cultures, and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We look forward to continuing our NAIDOC Week journey with many more meaningful learning experiences throughout the week.

This week, Preschool 1 explored Aboriginal-inspired painting using natural materials, connecting creativity, sensory play, and our appreciation of First Nations cultures.

Our outdoor brick wall was transformed into a creative canvas with large sheets of brown paper and trays of blue, white, black, and red paint. Instead of traditional paintbrushes, the children used a variety of tree branches to create their artwork.

The children were immediately curious about the unusual materials. After a brief demonstration, they eagerly dipped their branches into the paint and began experimenting with different movements—brushing up and down, side to side, and even gently tapping the paper. They delighted in discovering how the branches created unique textures, splatters, and leaf patterns, with every artwork becoming beautifully individual.

As they moved between the different paint colours and explored the various sizes and shapes of the branches, the children were immersed in a rich sensory experience. We asked how painting with branches felt compared to using a paintbrush, but they were having so much fun creating that they were more than happy to let their artwork do the talking!

Experiences like this support children's fine motor development, hand strength, coordination, creativity, and problem-solving while encouraging them to explore the natural world in meaningful ways. Using natural materials as artistic tools also provides rich sensory experiences and inspires open-ended exploration.

As we celebrate NAIDOC Week, this experience also supported our room goal of nurturing children's cultural identity and appreciation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Through hands-on learning and respectful engagement with nature-inspired art, we continue to foster curiosity, creativity, and respect for the world's oldest continuing cultures.

An introduction to our Leadership Team:

Meet our dedicated leaders who work together to inspire, support and guide our team, ensuring high-quality outcomes for children, families and educators. Through collaboration, inclusion and a shared commitment to excellence, our leadership team fosters a culture of belonging, continuous improvement and meaningful connections within our centre community.

Centre Director: Teresa
Assistant Director: Jorja
Educational Leader: Amelia

Collaborating to create a community where everyone belongs!