It’s designed for children ages 3 to 5 in Kindy Rooms across all Y WA Early Learning Centres.

The School ReadY program is available at all of our Y WA Early Learning Centres located across Perth and regional Western Australia.

The School ReadY program targets three key areas of development proven to support long-term academic and social success: 

1. Early Literacy and Language – developing pre-literacy skills, vocabulary, and listening comprehension
2. Social and Emotional Wellbeing – building confidence, resilience, and positive relationships 
3. Numeracy – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) – strengthening early maths, science, and problem-solving skills. 

Research shows these areas most strongly predict long-term learning success and wellbeing. Strengthening these skills early helps children flourish academically, socially, and emotionally at school and beyond. 

The program has been designed by expert researchers in the field, in consultation with Y WA educators. Unlike traditional programs that focus only on self-help skills, such as using scissors or packing a lunchbox, School ReadY combines:  

1. Evidence-based teaching grounded in early childhood science 
2. Play-based learning that responds to each child’s interests 
3. Specialist educator support to ensure quality delivery 
4. LanguageScreen assessments to screen for oral language difficulties and identify children who may require extra support 

LanguageScreen is a quick and engaging digital tool that helps educators screen for difficulties in the oral language development of children. It identifies those who may need extra support early on, allowing for timely intervention. 

All children enrolled in a Kindy Room at one of our Y WA Early Learning Centres participate in the School ReadY program. 

Families can choose to opt out of the LanguageScreen assessment process, though participation is recommended to help identify early on if additional support for a child may be beneficial.

Research shows: 

• 22 percent of children start school developmentally vulnerable (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022) 
• 1 in 3 students are failing to learn to read proficiently (Grattan Institute, 2024) 
• 1 in 3 school students fail to achieve proficiency in maths (Grattan Institute, 2025). 

School ReadY addresses these gaps early, giving your child the best possible start to their education and future. 

Educators receive specialist training and ongoing mentoring from the Y WA’s Literacy Specialist. This ensures consistent, high-quality delivery of the program across all centres.