Goodstart Early Learning Wagga Wagga - Lake Albert Road

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 👇

Congratulations to Tanya Trembath who celebrated 25 years of dedication and commitment to early childhood education. This achievement marks Tanya's extensive knowledge in early childhood development and her drive and passion for all children who have been in her care over the years! Well done!

Last week, our centre participated in Hot Chocolate and Beanie Day in support of Ronald McDonald House. It was a lovely way to warm up, with hot chocolate enjoyed alongside our morning tea.

Our wonderful families generously donated pantry items for us to deliver to the House, supporting families in need. Together, we collected an incredible total of 64 items- what an amazing effort!

Thank you to everyone who joined in and supported this incredible charity.

We are closed tomorrow, Monday 27th April for the ANZAC Day Public Holiday.

We will re-open Tuesday 28th April.

A great article shared by Maggie Dent 🌻

📣 If you collect a child from daycare, preschool or OOSH at the end of the day, this may sound familiar.

Many children arrive at care around 7.30 or 8.00 in the morning and are not getting home until after 6.00 pm. By the time pickup arrives, they may have spent ten hours:

• listening carefully
• concentrating on learning
• navigating friendships
• following instructions
• coping with busy rooms and playgrounds

That is a very long day for a young nervous system.

Teachers and early educators often see how hard children are working all day. Many are doing an enormous amount of emotional and social self-management.

So, when a child bursts into tears in the carpark, refuses to walk to the car, or melts down the moment they see their parent, it can feel stressful - and sometimes a little embarrassing.

But very often, that moment is simply when the “trying hard” tank is empty.

They have held it together all day.

When they finally see the person they feel safest with, the effort releases.

It doesn’t usually mean they had a bad day.

It usually means they feel safe enough with you to let their guard down.

A few small things can help make pickup time easier.

🧸 Start with connection
Before heading straight to the car, take a moment for a cuddle, a calm hello or sitting together for a minute. That brief pause can help a tired child settle after a very long day.

🥚 Have a small snack ready
Even if dinner isn’t far away, many children benefit from something small straight away. Think of it as the 'starter', not spoiling dinner. Cheese, yoghurt, a boiled egg, a small sandwich or chicken strip can take the edge off hunger and help avoid the classic 6 pm crash.

🚶 Slow the transition to the car
Busy carparks, noise and lots of instructions can overwhelm tired children. Walking slowly and keeping things simple often helps their nervous system regulate.

🍽 Be flexible about the family meal
Of course, it’s wonderful when families can sit down together for dinner every night. But many working families don’t live in that ideal world - and that’s okay.

If weeknight dinners often end in tears and raised voices because everyone is exhausted, it may help to think differently about when your family connects around food.

Some families find that weekend dinners, Sunday lunches or even breakfast together are calmer and more enjoyable times to connect.

Children rarely remember what was on the plate.

They remember how it felt to be together.

📋 Use a simple evening routine your child can see
Late afternoons can become harder when children hear lots of instructions: take your shoes off, wash your hands, sit down, eat dinner, get ready for bath…

For many young children, a visual schedule can help enormously.

Pictures showing the “when we get home” routine - snack, play, dinner, bath, story, bed - give children something they can see and follow.

Children of this age learn best from what they can see, not from repeated verbal instructions.

A visual routine quietly shows them what comes next, which often lowers the stress level in the household after a busy day.

🌙 Lower expectations for the evening
After a ten-hour day, some evenings are simply about getting through dinner, bath and bedtime. That’s okay. The goal is not the perfect family evening. The goal is helping everyone land safely at the end of a big day.

🌆 If the late afternoon feels tricky at your place, hang in there.

Many children are simply running on empty by that point in the day.

And if you’ve just finished a long workday yourself, you might be too.

💛 Giving your child - and yourself - a little grace and space can make a real difference.

If you know a parent, teacher or educator who might find this helpful, feel free to share it with them.

Our centre will be closed on Friday 3rd & Monday 6th April for the Easter Long Weekend.

We will re-open Tuesday 7th April.

Wishing you all a safe & happy Easter

🐰 🍫 🐣

🌟Transition to School Connections🌟

We’re so grateful for our ongoing partnership with Kooringal Public School and for the wonderful experiences Mrs. McAuliffe has provided each week.

These visits are helping our preschoolers feel confident and excited for big school.
A huge thank‑you to the KPS team and to our dedicated educators for supporting this program with such commitment and care.

We look forward to continued partnerships with Kooringal Public School.