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Preps Program

The Italian Bilingual School offers Preps classes for three and half year old children with the aim of assisting them to adjust to the structured nature of formal schooling and helping them to become accustomed to a bilingual environment and, in particular, to the sound of the Italian language.

The Prep class, provided within the facilities of the Italian Bilingual School, comprises a program in which the children are exposed to both Italian and English languages. In the course of the day children work at their desks as well as on floor activities in group work, pair work and individual work.

The program focuses on the development of early literacy and numeracy skills in a supportive environment.

Students learn by being immersed in the language. They learn through the language.

The time required before children are able to produce the language will vary from individual to individual.

Readiness of children

To help your child settle quickly into school you can let your child get used to:

eating from a lunch box.
undoing drinking containers.
knowing when to use a handkerchief or tissue.

Children need to be independent at:

going to the toilet.
clearly asking the teacher for things.

They need to know how:

to take turns
to separate from parents without anxiety
to listen and follow the teacher's instructions
to stay on task
to share with other children and
to understand the 'hands off' rule of the school.

Whilst the age of four is the entry point into the Transition class, the children should have a reasonable degree of self-sufficiency before they can be accepted because of the structured nature of the program. It may not be possible to assess a child's readiness until they attend.

If the teachers determine that while the child may be four they are not yet ready for this bilingual educational context, you will be informed within the first week of attendance.