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Lecturer and researcher at La Trobe University Dr Tessa Weadman is excited to partner with ECIA VIC/TAS to present this series of webinars focused on how to support young learner’s language comprehension skills in the preschool years.

For educators and allied health professionals, supporting language comprehension skills in preschool children is essential for laying the foundation for successful reading and academic achievement in the primary and secondary years.

Beyond the classroom, language skills also play a crucial role in how children come to understand and engage in the world around them.

Masterclass sessions:

13 MAY 10:30am-12:30pm | Session 1 will establish a theoretical understanding and shared language of how language comprehension skills in the pre-school years can help build a bridge to the strong literacy skills that develop through quality instruction in the primary years.

20 MAY 2–4pm | Session 2 will focus on the practice of shared book reading, including approaches for selecting texts to concurrently build language skills and knowledge, and effective techniques to promote language comprehension during shared book reading.

27 MAY 2-4pm | Session 3 will focus on identifying children at risk and the role of educators, parents and services in working together to support language comprehension skills in this vulnerable cohort.

CPD:

6x hours of training towards self directed CPD.

Cost (GST inclusive)

• Members $550
• Non-members $640

About this masterclass series

Tessa will share tools to use to identify red flags and when to refer on for specialised support. She'll also outline what early years professionals can learn about language comprehension from the ‘science of reading’, why it still applies to them, and how intentional and purposeful practices linked to the research can complement a play-based approach to give children the best possible start in their educational journey.

PLEASE NOTE: Each workshop in the masterclass builds on the previous session.

If you'd like to join us, please register to be emailed the Zoom link ahead of the event.

Meet our presenter

Dr Tessa Weadman works as a lecturer and researcher in the School of Education at La Trobe University. She is a member of La Trobe University’s SOLAR Lab (Science of Language and Reading). Her research interests span across preschool and school-age language and literacy development. She has a particular interest in the role of adult-child shared book reading and dialogic book reading in supporting the early language and literacy skills of preschoolers. Tessa's background is in speech pathology, where she continues to work part-time in educational settings and early childhood settings.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to get in touch. We're here to help!

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