Supporting Communication, language, and emergent literacy in the years before school

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The Soundmill Centre partners with early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings to support children’s communication, oral language and emergent literacy development in the two years before school. Our ECEC services are group-based, preventative and capacity-building, designed to strengthen inclusive, language-rich practice across everyday preschool routines. We work collaboratively with educators and leadership teams to embed practical, evidence-informed strategies that support children’s participation, learning and wellbeing.   Services can be engaged directly by ECEC settings and tailored to your context, priorities and community.

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Who is this service for?

This service is suitable for:

• Preschools and kindergartens

• Long day care and community-based ECEC services

• Educational leaders and teaching teams

• Children in the two years prior to school

• Services seeking preventative, whole-setting or targeted small-group support

 

What do we offer?

Group-based, play-based supports embedded in everyday practice.  Our ECEC service model may include:

• Small-group child sessions embedded within play-based learning

• Educator coaching and modelling within routines, environments and interactions

• Professional learning for educators, focused on practical classroom application

• Collaborative planning with leadership teams to support sustainable, whole-service approaches

• Parent and caregiver information sessions, where appropriate, to promote consistency across home and preschool contexts

All supports are delivered in partnership with educators, with a strong focus on building confidence, shared language, and practical implementation.

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Our approach

Our work in ECEC settings is informed by:

• Speech Pathology Australia evidence-based practice principles

• Early childhood and inclusive education research

• Play-based, teacher-led learning frameworks

• Population-level indicators such as AEDC domains, particularly:

  • Language and cognitive skills

  • Communication skills and general knowledge

  • Social competence

Rather than one-off training or isolated activities, our services are delivered as a sequenced suite of supports, with implementation guidance to ensure strategies are embedded, reviewed and sustained over time.

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How is our support delivered?

While delivery is tailored to each setting, services typically include:

1. Initial planning and collaboration
   Reviewing current practices, strengths and priorities with educators and leadership.

2. Professional learning and strategy introduction
   Practical, developmentally appropriate learning linked directly to preschool practice.

3. Onsite coaching and modelling
   Strategies demonstrated within everyday routines such as play, group times, shared reading, and transitions.

4. Targeted small-group demonstrations (where appropriate)
   Supporting educators to apply inclusive strategies with identified cohorts — not individual therapy.

5. Review and reflection
   Follow-up sessions to refine practice, monitor impact and plan next steps.

 

How do our services support your preschool program

Our service is designed to complement — not replace — your existing play-based, teacher-led program.

Educators are supported to:

• Embed language-supportive strategies into what they already do

• Support a wide range of communication profiles within inclusive environments

• Strengthen consistency across staff, rooms and routines

• Reduce reliance on external services over time

The goal is lasting practice change that continues well beyond the period of direct support.

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Inclusion and responsiveness

The Soundmill Centre is committed to inclusive, strengths-based practice. Our ECEC services are adaptable to support:

• Children with additional communication or learning needs

• Neurodivergent children

• Culturally and linguistically diverse families

• Services supporting complex community contexts

We work collaboratively with educators to ensure strategies are respectful, flexible and appropriate to each service’s community.

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Availability

• Location: Southern Adelaide

• Delivery modes: In-person, online, or hybrid

• Engagement: Short-term projects or longer-term implementation support

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Interested in working together?

If your ECEC setting is seeking collaborative, group-based speech pathology support focused on communication, language and early literacy, we’d love to talk. Contact us to discuss your setting’s needs, priorities and possible next steps.​​​