Principal’s Perspective | The joy of early learning literacy

POSTED June 2 2026 , News, Academic, Early Learning, Junior School

I find myself reflecting on a recent moment that captured the joy and importance of early literacy. One of my great highlights each year is welcoming our Kindergarten classes into my office for a story at the beginning and end of the year. It is a joy to witness their growth in confidence and independence throughout the year, and the visit earlier this term was no exception.

The students made their way over from the Junior School, excitedly climbing the stairs of the Main Administration building, before settling themselves, some on the couches, others cross-legged on the floor, ready to listen. This year, our shared story was Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey, a children’s book that never fails to draw laughter, lively participation and thoughtful responses from our youngest learners.

What makes these sessions especially memorable are the in-between moments. There was great excitement from the outset, with some students believing they were visiting the “Princess’ office” instead of the Principal’s office, or greeting me as “Mrs Tadpole”, confused by my somewhat unusual surname, misunderstandings that made me giggle and which made our time together even more memorable.

We were also joined by Father Gift and our Head of Junior School, Mrs Helen Adams, for the reading of Pig the Pug, both of whom graciously took their places on the floor after the girls comfortably made themselves at home on the lounges in my office.

While these moments are light-hearted and memorable, they also speak to something deeper. Early literacy is not simply about learning to read and write; it is about developing a relationship with language. It begins with listening, engaging with stories, experimenting with words and feeling confident enough to participate.

One of my own favourite memories of reading with my children reflects this. As a family, we returned again and again to Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd. So often did we read it together that my husband Rod and I, and children James and Emma, can still recite it from beginning to end. It is a reminder of how powerful repetition, shared enjoyment and familiarity can be in nurturing both confidence and a lasting connection to stories.

This focus on literacy was further strengthened last week when the Better Beginnings program visited our Kindergarten girls. A Western Australian initiative led by the State Library, the program centres on shared storytelling and is designed to help children build listening and language skills through positive, engaging experiences with books. It reinforces what we see so clearly in moments like our recent story session: that literacy grows through connection, enjoyment and repetition.

We are deliberate in fostering these literacy experiences and opportunities, and I am delighted that this love of reading carries over into the Senior School, where the Elizabeth Myles Library is a constant hub of activity.

At St Mary’s, we want our students to see reading not as a task, but as something that invites curiosity, imagination, conversation and happy memories. For this reason, I always include a reading discussion with new students during their enrolment interviews, encouraging them to share with me what they are currently reading and to discuss the importance of adopting a daily reading habit if they don’t already have one. Equally, the role of parents cannot be overstated. The simple act of reading together, revisiting a favourite story, or talking about a book is a shared moment that can have a lasting impact.

Mrs Judith Tudball
Principal