New Brighter Beginnings toolkit supports communication development in four-year-olds

The NSW Department of Education has released a new evidence-informed toolkit to help early childhood educators strengthen the communication skills of four-year-old children.

Developed in partnership with NSW Health, the Brighter Beginnings Connect & Communicate Toolkit provides educators with practical strategies, experience plans, videos and printable resources that can be incorporated into everyday practice.

The toolkit forms part of the broader Brighter Beginnings initiative and has been designed by early childhood teachers, with input from experienced speech pathologists and educators working directly with children.

Communication skills play a critical role in children’s social development, relationships, learning and transition to school.

The 2024 Australian Early Development Census found that 74.9 per cent of NSW children were developmentally on track in the Communication Skills and General Knowledge domain. This means approximately one in four children were either developmentally at risk or developmentally vulnerable in this area.

Communication encompasses far more than spoken language. It includes the sounds, gestures, body language and expressive and receptive language children use to communicate their needs, exchange ideas and make meaning with others.

Children experiencing communication difficulties during early childhood may face ongoing challenges with reading, writing, spelling, behaviour and relationships. Early identification and appropriate support can help reduce the longer-term effects of these difficulties.

The new toolkit gives educators practical ways to strengthen children’s communication through responsive interactions, intentional teaching and thoughtfully designed learning environments.

The Connect & Communicate Toolkit is structured around six topics:

• Understanding communication
• Responsive interactions
• Creating learning environments that support communication
• Making sense of letters and sounds
• Understanding concepts of print
• Shared book reading.

Each topic combines research and theory with practical strategies educators can apply directly within their service.

Resources include experience plans, printable classroom materials, video demonstrations, family fact sheets and links to key early childhood frameworks. The toolkit also provides ideas for team meetings, mentoring and group reflection to support consistent implementation across a service.

Prompts relating to Aboriginal pedagogies, cultural context and inclusive practice help educators consider how experiences can be adapted to reflect the strengths, capabilities, languages and interests of individual children and their communities.

Rather than operating as a separate program, the toolkit has been designed to complement the experiences, routines and interactions already occurring in early childhood settings.

Content is presented in short, weekly sections that services can work through at their own pace. Educators can follow the suggested sequence, concentrate on topics that are particularly relevant to their children or begin using individual strategies immediately.

The toolkit includes activities for building communication during play, shared reading, mealtimes, transitions and indoor and outdoor experiences.

Classroom-ready resources include:

• Communication milestone information
• Speech development guidance
• Serve-and-return interaction posters
• Focus-word resources
• Play-based experience plans
• Visual routine templates
• Shared-reading prompts
• Picture cards
• Snack-time conversation resources.

These materials can be printed and used immediately, reducing the additional preparation required from educators.

Video examples demonstrate strategies in practice and can be used during team meetings, professional learning sessions or individual reflection.

A family fact sheet accompanies each of the six topics, giving services a straightforward way to share communication strategies with parents and carers.

The fact sheets can be distributed directly to families or adapted for newsletters and other regular service communications. Translated versions are also available to improve access for families from diverse language backgrounds.

This connection between the service and home can help families understand the approaches educators are using and reinforce children’s communication development across different environments.

Links to the Early Years Learning Framework, National Quality Standard, Aboriginal pedagogies and relevant early childhood theorists are embedded throughout the toolkit.

These connections can assist educators and services with curriculum planning, documentation, Quality Improvement Plan development and critical reflection. The material may also support strategic inclusion planning where a service is accessing assistance through the Inclusion Support Program.

An accompanying Reflective Workbook encourages educators to examine their interactions, learning environments and teaching practices through individual, peer and team-based activities.

Completing the required sections of the workbook can be recorded as 12 hours of professional learning.

Educators can also submit their final reflections and declaration to the NSW Department of Education to receive a Connect & Communicate Champion certificate for themselves and their service.

The toolkit can be used independently or alongside children’s health and development checks, including the Brighter Beginnings Health and Development Checks in Early Childhood Education and Care program.

It may also help educators support children while families are awaiting further assessment, speech pathology or other early intervention services. However, it does not replace assessment or individual support from a qualified health professional.

The complete toolkit, Reflective Workbook, family fact sheets, printable resources, videos and recorded information session are available through the NSW Department of Education website.