The Soundmill Centre provides speech pathology support within early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, focused on strengthening children’s communication, oral language and early literacy in the two years prior to school. This preventative, capacity-building service works alongside educators to embed communication-supportive strategies into everyday preschool routines, environments and interactions. Support is tailored to each setting and delivered as a sequenced suite of components over time, allowing strategies to be introduced, practised and sustained.

Key components can include:

• Educator coaching and professional learning, with modelling of strategies within play, shared book reading, group learning and daily routines
• Small-group child sessions, demonstrating inclusive, play-based approaches for targeted cohorts
• Collaborative planning with educators and leadership to align strategies with existing programs and priorities
• Family information sessions, supporting consistency between preschool and home environments

The service focuses on building educator capability and confidence to support children’s language, vocabulary, narrative, phonological awareness and participation in learning. Ongoing coaching and reflective practice ensure strategies are embedded and sustainable beyond the period of direct support.

Further information: https://www.thesoundmillcentre.com.au/early-childhood-education-support

Expected outcomes of this support include:

• Increased educator knowledge of early speech, language and communication development
• Enhanced educator capability to implement language and early literacy strategies within everyday practice
• Improved communication and early literacy outcomes for children in the two years prior to school
• Increased family understanding of early communication and literacy development

This support is delivered in-person and online (as appropriate) within early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, working with educators, groups of children and families.

Our speech pathologists provide a structured, sequenced service that includes:

• Planning and collaborative goal setting with educators and leadership teams
• Educator professional learning and modelling of strategies within everyday routines (e.g. play, shared book reading, group learning)
• Small-group supports for children to demonstrate inclusive, play-based approaches
• Preparation of practical, easy-to-use resources to support implementation
• Ongoing coaching and reflective practice with educators to embed strategies
• Family information sessions to support consistency between preschool and home environments
• Review and follow-up sessions to monitor progress and guide next steps

Support is tailored to each setting and delivered over time to ensure strategies are introduced, practised and sustained within existing play-based, teacher-led programs.

Speech pathology services are delivered by qualified speech pathologists at a rate of $250 per hour (ex GST), inclusive of planning, preparation, onsite delivery, educator coaching, resource development, and follow-up support. Total cost is tailored to each setting based on the duration and structure of support. Travel within the service area is included.