Pre-Schoolers Turning Japanese
Today the Member for Eltham, Vicki Ward MP and the Director of Leap Ahead Leanring, Keryn Johnson welcomed the Consul-General of Japan, Mr Kazuyoshi Matsunaga to Montmorency.
To launch the Early Childhood Japanese Language Program at Leap Ahead Learning, Mr Kazuyoshi Matsunaga was dressed as a ninja and warmly welcomed by the children has he showed off his ninja moves.
Mr Matsunaga has had a long and distinguished career in foreign affairs and has served as First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in the United States of America, Counselor at the Embassy of Japan in Thailand and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Tanzania.
Mr Matsunaga has been Consul-General at the Consulate-General of Japan in Melbourne since 2017.
This language program is part of the $17.9 million investment into the Early Childhood Language Program from the Andrews Labor Government. Leap Ahead Learning was one of 150 pre-schools and early learning centres to receive this grant.
The programs will reach approximately 5,000 children per year at no additional cost to parents and children will learn another language other than English for up to three hours per week.
Between 85 and 90 per cent of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of five. Education experts have found that there are many benefits in learning additional languages at a young age, including:
increased reading and writing skills
cognitive flexibility
strengthened brain development
improved problem solving skills.
The Andrews Government is committed to giving every child the best start to life. That’s why, in an Australian first, the State Government is investing almost $5 billion over the next decade to provide access to a full 15 hours per week of funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten by 2029, to be progressively rolled out from 2020.
Quotes attributable to the Member for Eltham, Vicki Ward MP:
“To have Japanese being taught in our community, from pre-school level all the way to VCE, all within a few kilometres from each other is just terrific.”
Quotes attributable to Founder and Director of Leap Ahead Learning, Keryn Johnson:
"Leap Ahead Learning Pre-Prep was honoured to host the state-wide launch for the Languages in Kindergarten Program. After teaching an additional language this year, we can truly see the benefits that this provides for our youngest learners. We are looking forward to teaching Japanese again next year thanks to the grant we've received from the Daniel Andrews Government."