Box Hill North Kinder students are learning Japanese

They can’t read or write yet, but the four-year-olds at Box Hill North Kindergarten are teaching their parents to speak Japanese.

Kieva and Ava are among the 41 four-year-olds learning Japanese at Box Hill North Kindergarten. Picture: Andy Brownbill

They can’t read or write yet, but the four-year-olds at Box Hill North Kindergarten are teaching their parents to speak Japanese.

The 41 children enrolled at the kinder have begun learning the language as part of the State Government’s Early Childhood Language Program.

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Kindergarten director Danielle Cogley said the children were “absolutely loving” having Box Hill North Primary School’s Japanese teacher come to teach them Japanese words through games and songs.

Paul Hamer MP, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education James Merlino, with Japanese teacher Rachael Martin and students at Box Hill North Kindergarten. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Ms Cogley said learning the language increased the students’ self esteem and their literacy in general.

“We know that the major brain development happens in these first five years,” she said.

“The children are ahead of me at learning it.”

She said parents had nominated Japanese as the language the Box Hill North students should learn because it was taught at the primary school and nearby high schools.

In other kinders across Victoria children will learn languages such as Punjabi, Arabic and Aboriginal languages.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education James Merlino visited the kinder to launch the program. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The Box Hill North kinder is one of the first to introduce the State Government initiative.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education James Merlino and Box Hill state Labor MP Paul Hamer visited the kinder on Tuesday to see the language classes in action.

The $17.9 million program covers the costs of staffing and resources.