ACER Foundation
Contact usMajor Project 2012-2013
School Readiness Television Initiative
The School Readiness Initiative for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children is a national joint project being developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC).
The critical importance of the early years in the intellectual, emotional and physical development of children is well documented. The School Readiness Initiative for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children is aimed at giving these children the best possible transition from home to school and a solid foundation for successful future learning in mainstream education.
The initiative will comprise:
- A television program(s) that builds on the cultural learning children already have and develops the foundational skills that will enable them to be confident learners in mainstream schooling.
- An outreach program that will connect and encourage relationships between pre-schools, primary schools, families and teachers on a local level.
- Resources for educators that will inform current educator understandings of the needs and strengths of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children beginning school.
- Resources for children that will expand on and support the learning found within the television series. Resources for families that will encourage and support them as their child transitions into formal education.
- Website(s) tailored to: educators, families and children. The website(s) will support the learning found within the television series, the understandings found in the teacher resources and the relationships developed between schools and families.
The Australian Government and all state and territory governments have committed to providing universal access to quality early childhood education for all children by 2013. The School Readiness Initiative for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children represents a valuable opportunity to support government priorities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
© 2013 Australian Council for Educational Research
ABN: 19 004 398 145
