What is ELLA?

The ELLA program is now being offered at Forestview Kindergarten thanks to the financial support of the 2019 Parent Committee to employ a Language Support Educator and the acquisition of an ELLA grant that provides the service with access to the ELLA interactive APP program, professional development and resources to support the learning of a second language.

Ella is a fun and easy digital language program for kindergarten. The program is an Australian Government initiative aimed at encouraging more students to study language.

The program has been successfully integrated into thousands of kindergartens and preschools across Australia. It has had overwhelmingly positive feedback from families and educators.

How does ELLA work?

ELLA introduces children to learning a new language via interactive tablet apps, which have been developed in consultation with experts in languages, early childhood and

technology. The Polyglots are a cast of characters who – through play-based learning – introduce the children to words, sentences and songs in another language. The apps draw on the interests and activities of young children, such as celebrations, cooking experiences, art activities, building and role-play.

At Forestview we have selected Japanese as our focus language and our ELLA Language Support Educator is Yuka Thomson.

In addition to being our invaluable additional needs assistant, Yuka is also our Japanese language specialist providing a wonderful range of experiences that help the children to connect with Japanese culture and language.  She has also helped us establish correspondence connections with a number of kindergartens in Japan and we exchange drawing, craft and artwork each year.

ELLA will create opportunities to enrich the language and culture in the apps through other activities such as cooking, stories or music, or inviting family and community members to share their cultures at the preschool.

All ELLA apps are aligned to the learning outcomes in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), a key component of the Australian Government’s National Quality Framework for early childhood education and care.

What are the benefits of ELLA?

Using ELLA has shown multiple benefits for children. Children will expand their knowledge of how language works and apply these skills to other literacy tasks, such as listening carefully to sounds in words. These skills will be used when the children learn to read and write.

ELLA will help develop foundation skills, such as learning colours, counting and greetings. Research has shown that exposing children to language learning at an early age encourages them to continue language studies during secondary school.

Playing with the ELLA apps helps children develop and use cognitive and social skills. They will share the tablets and their knowledge, interact with and help each other.

Language learning improves memory, concentration and critical-thinking skills. Using the ELLA apps increases children’s digital skills, too.

ELLA also creates opportunities to celebrate culture and diversity, to share home languages, and to strengthen links between families and preschool services.

What are the benefits of language learning in early childhood?

Language learning, like all learning in early childhood, is most successful when the community has a common understanding of the reasons for its inclusion in children’s education (Early Years Learning Framework, Principles, 2: Partnerships). That is why communicating the benefits of language learning in early childhood is an important part of establishing parent and community support.

Learning a language from an early age has many benefits, some of which include:

• development and strengthening of literacy skills that are transferable across other areas of learning
• enhancing communication and social skills
• improved critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• becoming aware of and developing an understanding of other cultures and peoples
  preparing children for positive language learning experiences at school.

We can’t wait to get the ELLA ball rolling at Forestview Community Kindergarten and opening our children’s eyes up to so many wonderful possibilities and valuable life long learning.