Childcare centre championing children’s curiosity for  Literacy and Numeracy Week 

A Perth long day care centre celebrated its commitment to cultivating an early love of learning as part of Literacy and Numeracy Week, which champions the development of critical mathematics, reading and writing skills among young Australians. 

Busy Bees at O’Connor marked Literacy and Numeracy Week by inviting families to share books with children, leading hands-on numeracy challenges, hosting family workshops, and showcasing children’s projects to celebrate literacy and numeracy development within the centre. 

Centre Director Joanne Nocon said that play-based learning and the use of intentional teaching moments to build on children’s natural curiosity nurtures literacy and numeracy skills in a way that is fun and engaging for young minds. 

“We encourage early literacy every day through storytelling, phonics games, singing and meaningful conversations with educators, and numeracy is woven into activities like counting, sorting, measuring during cooking, and problem-solving activities,” Ms Nocon said. 

“We work to ensure that literacy and numeracy are not isolated lessons but rather lived experiences that support the learning journey, we are seeing children increasingly drawn to  real-life applications of literacy and numeracy, using technology for interactive learning, or building early financial awareness through role play like ‘shops’ or ‘cafés’.” 

Play-based learning is key to progressing literacy and numeracy development for children at Busy Bees, learning through activities such as tracing their names and the alphabet outside using small coloured rocks, or through counting games in the playground. 

School preparedness underpins Busy Bees’ curriculum, which has been designed to build foundational skills and attributes that develop children’s confidence and capability as they transition into their formal education. 

Beyond educational benefits, the development of literacy and numeracy skills in young children is found to in turn boost confidence, positivity, and social and physical wellbeing. 

“Though we track the children’s progress in communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking, the key indicators of success for us are growth in confidence, curiosity, and willingness  to engage with literacy and numeracy concepts,” Ms Nocon said. 

Literacy and Numeracy Week is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how to best instil a love of  learning in the next generation. 

“We’re committed to giving children the very best start in life, and by working to support them in their early years to develop an understanding of literacy and numeracy in a practical way, we are  doing just that.” Ms Nocon said. 

To find out more about literacy and numeracy in Busy Bees’ curriculum, visit here.