FAQs
Williamstown: 164 Ferguson St, Williamstown 3016
Williams Landing: 307/111 Overton Rd (Suite 7, Level 3), Williams Landing 3027
Caroline Springs: 23/242-244 Caroline Springs Boulevard, Caroline Springs 3023
Wantirna: 1/322 Mountain Hwy, Wantirna 3152
Clayton: 1939 Princes Hwy, Clayton 3168
Templestowe: 109 Wood St, Templestowe 3106
Epping: 378 Findon Rd, Epping 3076
Enrolments are open all year, but we recommend your child begins in term one and attends weekly classes during school terms to get the most out of Reading Bees.
Term 2: Mon 15/4/23 – Sat 29/6/24
Term 3: Mon 15/7/24 – Sat 21/9/24
Term 4: Mon 7/10/24 – Sat 7/12/24
Closed on these public holidays:
Mon 11/3/24 – Labour day
Fri 29/3/24 – Good Friday
Sat 30/3/24 – Saturday before Easter
Thu 25/4/23 – Anzac day
Mon 10/6/24 – King’s birthday
Mon 4/11/24 & Tue 5/11/24 – Melbourne cup weekend
Reading Bees is a unique program that continues to develop based on the needs of our most important customers - the children. Reading Bees appeals to a wide community of children and their individual needs, whether it be building on their knowledge, providing a safe and nurturing learning environment, or offering structure so that too many choices don't make your child anxious.
Reading Bees provides a service to the community that no-one else does. You could say we slot between kinder and primary school. We provide not only a service to children in our local community but the wider community. We have families that travel for over an hour one way to come to Reading Bees each week.
Our vision is to help children to become the best version of themselves. We respect that children develop at their own pace and empathise with the children according to their unique needs and character.
‘Children are more likely to cope with the challenges of school when they are self-reliant and confident; are willing to try new things, can listen to and follow instructions, can take care of their own belongings, can interact confidently and co-operatively with other children and adults, and are able to cope with inevitable frustrations’ (Associate Professor Kay Margetts - Lecturer in Early Childhood and Primary Teacher Education).
Research has proven that 'adjustment to school is also supported when children have basic literacy and numeracy skills and the support of sensitive adults' (Associate Professor Kay Margetts - Lecturer in Early Childhood and Primary Teacher Education).
At Reading Bees, we focus on phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge and basic mathematical concepts through play. The program is developed from evidence-based literacy and numeracy research.
Children start reading real stories once they know the first 8 ‘sounds’. The sounds and letters are introduced in an order that makes it easy for children to learn. The emphasis is on ‘decoding’ (sounding-out) and a few ‘heart words’ (high frequency words children need to know 'by heart' as they cannot decode them at this stage). This is all taught in a fun and engaging way.
Starting school with confidence is really important. The demands, both socially and academically, are huge in the first year of school.
Learning to read is not easy or natural. It is a complex process. Oral language and pre-literacy, phonological awareness skills support early reading and writing development. Skilled readers have good decoding skills (word recognition); understand what they read (comprehension) and read with fluency (Maureen Pollard - Little Learners Love Literacy).
A child’s level of phonological awareness (ability to identify sounds and sound patterns in language) is an important predictor of their later reading development (Maureen Pollard - Little Learners Love Literacy).
We believe that if your child begins school knowing something about sounds, reading and writing, it can make a significant difference to how they feel as a learner and how easily they settle into that new school routine and expectations.
Not at all. We do not teach the children everything they will learn in Prep. We help the children develop the skills that will assist them with their transition into school.
The awareness of sounds and their link to speech and letters is an important part of learning to read. In fact, the awareness of sounds is a pre-requisite skill before children can learn to associate sounds with letters.
It is sometimes assumed that because children are immersed in a sound-rich environment, they develop phonemic awareness naturally. The truth is that the speaker and listener are not actually attending to individual sounds; the focus is on communication - speaking and listening (Maureen Pollard - Literacy Consultant).
At Reading Bees, we use the Little Learners Love Literacy program for the literacy component of our lessons. The program is developed from evidence-based literacy research that emphasizes the importance of explicit teaching, along with a focus on:
- Phonemic awareness
- Phonics
- Vocabulary
- Fluency
- Comprehension
It also includes the teaching of handwriting skills as an integral part of literacy learning.
ABSOLUTELY!
Children with speech and language delays often have difficulty with literacy skills as well. Children who have difficulty pronouncing or understanding certain speech sounds may have difficulty with reading and writing those sounds as well. This can lead to trouble decoding and sounding out words.
Children with language delays may not fully understand all parts of language, such as grammar, syntax, vocabulary, etc. This can lead to problems understanding text or putting one’s ideas into writing in a logical manner.
Before children are ready to read, write, and spell, they develop phonological awareness skills. These skills help them understand how words are made up of sounds and that sounds are represented by letters. These skills are essential for reading and are often impaired in children with speech disorders, especially phonological disorders.
At Reading Bees, we help your child develop phonological awareness skills by incorporating the following in their play based activities....
- Rhyming
- Alliteration (same beginning sounds)
- Letter-sound correspondences
- Manipulating sounds in words
- Identifying sounds at the beginning, middle and end of words.
With a maximum class size of 12 children, led by a dedicated educator plus an assistant, your child gets the personal attention they need and deserve.
Definitely! We are very passionate about helping children learn to read and believe we have the tools to help them.
'Approximately one student in every 10 in our primary schools experience some form of learning challenge within their educational setting, with three to five percent having a Specific Learning Disorder such as Dyslexia' (Kristin Anthian - LDA Consultant).
'These students require early identification and appropriate intervention using a systematic, explicit and cumulative approach to the instruction of reading and spelling, with high intensity and frequency. The Little Learners Love Literacy phonics program provides a comprehensive scope and sequence for the teaching of literacy in the early years. It can be equally effective in supporting students experiencing learning difficulties, with it systematic and carefully sequenced methodology' (Kristin Anthian - LDA Consultant).
In the Pre-Kinder classes, the maximum amount of children is 10, with two educators.
In the Kinder & Kinder Plus classes, the maximum amount of children is 12, with two educators.
In the Primary classes, the maximum amount of children is 5, with one educator.
Pre-Kinder & Kinder classes....
Milo's Birthday Surprise
Reading Bees classes are based around the storybook 'Milo's Birthday Surprise'. Each double-page spread provides language-rich text and illustrations supporting the focus sound.
At the beginning of the class, the children are encouraged to greet their teachers and peers.
The children settle into the group by putting their bags in the lockers, placing their workbook on the table and joining their peers for the first activity. If all goes to plan, the children say bye to their parents.
Circle time
This activity is at the beginning of the class to build awareness of the focus sound before introducing the letter. This a great opportunity for vocabulary discussion, as well as encouraging children to develop the skill of hearing and isolating the initial sounds in words.
Print awareness
Each week, the children listen to a page from the story 'Milo's Birthday Surprise'.
'Milo’s Birthday Surprise' takes children on a journey through the letters of the alphabet, highlighting the sound of each letter. Becoming aware of the link between sounds and letters is the first step in learning to read. Milo the monkey introduces his friends as he invites them to his birthday party. Entertaining illustrations allow children to search for clues about the birthday surprises that are in store for Milo.
The introduction of sounds in 'Milo's Birthday Surprise' is not in alphabetical order. Every page is full of alliteration - eg. Felix the frog flips and flops with four fat fish; Kylie the koala practises karate kicks; and Cooper the caterpillar crawls on a cactus.
(Little Learners Love Literacy)
Song and Dance
Then we have a bit of a sing and dance.
Art and Craft
The art and craft activities help the development of fine motor skills: cutting with scissors, tearing paper, pasting and colouring in.
Handwriting
The link between handwriting and spelling is important. Our teaching is based on the sequence: children hear the sound, read the letter and write it. This multi-sensory process 'grooves' the skills in place. The correct starting position is vital for correct letter formation and minimises confusion when writing letters b and d, for example.
Chitter chatter chant and speed sounds
Children love the rhythm of chanting. This is one method we use to teach the children sound and letter association.
Super spelling
Blending sounds together is quite a difficult skill, so we start early to provide lots of practice.
Phonemic fun
To read and write successfully, children need to be able to hear and manipulate sounds in words. Each session has phonemic fun activities.
Socialising
The children have the opportunity throughout the lesson to interact with their Reading Bees friends. We practice taking turns, co-operating, compromising and sharing with others.
Communication
We encourage listening and talking so that the children have a supportive environment for developing skills and understanding words and language to practice expressive and receptive language skills.
We nurture learning behaviours like following instructions, transitioning between activities and completing tasks.
Developing a Growth Mindset
We engage the children in activities that encourage self motivation, for example the children critique their own work, not the teacher. They stamp their own work, put a smiley face next to their best work etc. We encourage the children to use the term 'YET', "I can't do this, YET."
Numeracy
We re-group to complete the numeracy component of the class. Some topics we cover are number recognition, 2D and 3D shapes, patterns, basic addition.
Borrowing time
Children are given the opportunity to borrow decodable books to take home.
These colour-coded books are an integral part of the program as they provide a great opportunity for children to practise their developing reading skills in a real context.
These classes are designed to help children experience success in meeting challenges with reading and spelling.
Children can usually recognise words before they can spell them. Spelling usually lags behind reading development because spelling requires greater visual recall than reading and places higher demands on memory (Maureen Pollard - Little Learners Love Literacy).
At Reading Bees, we use the Little Learners Love Literacy program. The program eases the demand on the memory by giving children a menu of letter choices. This makes the children feel confident and helps them learn to identify letters and blend sounds to make words.
Small classes...
Small classes ensure educators understand the needs of each child and how they are progressing socially, emotionally and academically. It allows for more interaction and observation of what strategies are working best for your child to learn.
About the classes...
The sequence of the classes has been designed for practical, successful learning. Only one new sound is added at a time and each class builds on skills already learnt. Children's skills grow pyramid style, building from a solid foundation.
We also offer 1:1 sessions at some centres by appointement only. You are unable to book these sessions online.
The program runs for 38 weeks per year commencing in February and running during school terms only. Although we recommend commencing at the beginning of the program, it is never too late to join.
There are no lessons during school holidays or on public holidays. Private lessons may be available upon request, pending educator availability.
Check our website for our January school holiday program.
• Pre-Kinder class
Is for children attending school in 2026 ($39 inc GST, per 60 minute class).
Children must be toilet trained.
• Kinder class
Is for children continuing on from our Pre-Kinder class or for children attending school in 2025 ($45 inc GST per 75-minute class).
• Kinder Plus class
Is for children who have attended the Reading Bees Kinder class the previous year ($45 inc GST per 75-minute class).
We are happy to discuss with you the opportunity for your child to attend the Kinder Plus class if they have not attended Reading Bees the previous year.
• Primary class
Is for children in their junior primary years. They are skills-based classes catering for children from Prep to grade 3. ($49 inc GST per 45-minute class).
Prior to enrolling into a Primary class, children must attend a screening appointment to determine the most suitable group level for them to enrol into. There is a small fee to complete a screening ($25 inc GST per 20-minute screening).
• 1:1 lessons
Are available for children from Prep to Year 6.
Please call 0412 268 636 to discuss
Please note this is simply an outline. Children are individuals with different abilities and circumstances.
Payment is required at the time of enrolment to secure your child's place.
For new enrolments, this includes payment for the classes and the required learning resources.
You can do all of this in the Reading Bees app https://readingbees.com.au/app/
Yes, for our Kinder program! We would love to invite you to attend a trial class as an opportunity to see our creative learning space, meet our passionate educators, and give you the confidence to know that your child is happy and engaged before making the decision to enrol.
At the end of January each year (the week before our Term One classes start), we run 'Come and Try days’ at each learning studio location. This is perfect timing to ensure that your child starts their class from the very first week of the year. If these days/times don't suit you, don't worry! From week 2 onwards, you can request a trial class at any time throughout the year!
At any other time of the year, please contact us by phone or email to arrange a trial.
In addition to class fees, there is an annual fee of $30 per student. This fee covers all consumables and learning resources used during classes, as well as their workbook, tote bag and reader borrowing subscription.
For the Kinder program, we also strongly recommend that parents purchase the 'Milo’s Birthday Surprise' storybook ($25 RRP) and a set of Milo’s alphabet flashcards ($25 RRP) to use at home. These can be purchased through the online shop on the Reading Bees app.
Using the recommended resources ensures that children learn the skills needed to learn to read and write. The focus is on teaching children to think about, talk about, and synthesise their developing knowledge of sounds and letters so they can read, write and spell with confidence. Getting children off to a good start is important!
Reading Bees is not an NDIS registered provider, however we are more than happy to liaise with your plan manager and provide the information required to support your request. We have many children who attend Reading Bees classes as part of their funding plan as the aims of our program align with their individual goals.
Reading Bees do not offer refunds for missed lessons. No deduction can be made on account of absence, as the expenses incurred in maintaining the efficiency of the program are not lessened by the temporary absence of individual students.
If your child is unable to attend a class under any circumstances (ie. illness, appointment, holiday), a makeup token will be provided as long as the required notice is given. Makeup tokens are valid for 60 days and can be used at any of our learning studio locations, based on class availability. Children must be currently enrolled in order to use a makeup token.
In the event that Reading Bees is unable to provide a scheduled class (i.e. teacher away, other unforeseen circumstances), you will be offered a credit or a refund for that missed class.
Read our full terms and conditions here: https://readingbees.com.au/terms-and-conditions/
We do not offer refunds once you have booked and paid for the term.
Please email hello@readingbees.com.au if you would like to cancel your child's enrolment.
- Your child's workbook in the plastic pocket provided
- Drink bottle (You can buy a Reading Bees drink bottle from our online shop!)
- Reader (if borrowed)
- You do not need to bring the storybook and flashcards each week. These are for home use
** Also please note - we do not allow food in our learning studios, due to allergies. Please help us to keep our learning studios a safe place for all children, & do not bring any food/snacks with you.
The more your child practices what they have learnt at Reading Bees, the more they will benefit from the program. This is why we strongly encourage you to purchase Milo’s storybook and flashcards, so that you can support their learning at home. Please take pleasure in reading 'Milo's Birthday Surprise' storybook with your child. Your child will receive this on their first day. Although we only read the page that is relevant to the sound we are learning each week, we encourage you to read the story and discuss all the pictures that go with each of Milo's friends. This helps to consolidate their learning, helps with anxiety as they can anticipate what is going to happen in class, and builds excitement about who they're going to meet next!
However, when it comes to the flashcards - please only use the cards for the sounds we have learned so far. Then each week, we encourage you to add in the new letter that your child has learnt in class so that the collection of flashcards you practise with gradually increases throughout the whole year.
If you could practice three times a week for 5 -10 minutes, this will definitely improve your child's learning. Away from the book & flashcards, it is also all of the informal occasions throughout your week that we encourage you to take advantage of, to practice the focus from each week - eg. noticing food you eat, things you wear, or places you go that begin with that week's focus sound; pointing out the focus letter on signs or on the TV, etc.
You do not need to stay with your child. In saying that, you are most welcome to at any time. Some parents stay with their children until they are comfortable on their own. Some parents stay for a class every now and then or come back earlier to see how their child is going.
Ideally, however, we are aiming for your child to be independent in our learning studio. You will appreciate that the children find it overwhelming when they have a sea of adults watching over them. It is also an important element of school readiness to develop so that your children build confidence in being away from you, and in knowing that you will be back to pick them up at the end of the class.
All Educators at Reading Bees are either qualified primary teachers, kindergarten teachers or speech pathologists.
All Educators at Reading Bees hold a current Working with Children check and current First Aid certification.
Hi,
My name is Amber. I'm the founder of Reading Bees. Reading Bees was born 8 years ago after I attended a literacy workshop. I wanted to help my daughter, who was in kinder at the time, prepare for primary school.
I probably need to mention my background; I am a qualified teacher with a Bachelor of Arts (Japanese and Behavioural Science), Bachelor of Teaching, and a Graduate Diploma in Business (Human Resource). I left classroom teaching because I didn't like how I felt when I reflected on my day and knew I hadn't been able to give each child the assistance they needed as an individual.
At the workshop, the presenter Maureen Pollard (Literacy Consultant and author of Little Learners Love Literacy) said, 'If children don't learn the foundations of reading in the first 3 years of school, they will struggle for the rest of their lives.' On my way home, I called friends and said, "Bring your children over to my place, I'm teaching them phonics!" I wasn't leaving anything to chance. They told their friends and in the first year I had 25 students. The following year, I convinced my husband to let me transform our master bedroom into a little classroom. By the way, he originally thought this was going to be a 'hobby', as we had a 4 year old and a 2 year old at the time.
By the third year, the word spread, and Yvonne joined 'The Hive' to help me with 70 children attending Reading Bees at my home over 2 1/2 days! At that point, I had to decide if I would keep Reading Bees small and stay at home, or give it a shot and expand so I could offer more classes. In turn, this meant more children had the opportunity to benefit from our program.
It didn't take me long to decide. I signed the lease for 164 Ferguson st, Williamstown. Bianca and Siobhan joined Yvonne and I, our hive was growing. The word was spreading.....
Fast forward to today - we have 4 learning studios and over 500 children attending each week. Di and Hope helped to open Point Cook (now Williams Landing) and Tanya worked extremely hard on creating an awesome learning studio in Wantirna. My brain is always ticking over thinking about how we can open more learning studios. Everytime someone asks on Facebook etc "can you open in our area?", we honestly put a lot of thought into how we can make it happen (we, being Rach and I). Rach is our 'jack of all trades', I think she has done every role available at Reading Bees! Rach keeps The Hive buzzing.
I believe we are successful at Reading Bees because everyone at 'The Hive' genuinely cares and is passionate about how we can help each individual child that comes to Reading Bees. Our small classes enable us to attend to each child and we never leave each day wondering if we have given each child the attention they deserve. The team go above and beyond for the children, and to support each other. We thoroughly believe in our 'product' and we take our responsibility as a child's first educator very seriously.
Thank you for your interest in Reading Bees. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to talk about how we can help your child become the best version of themselves.
Warmest Regards
Amber
To enrol:
https://app.iclasspro.com/portal/readingbees
Alternatively email hello@readingbees.com.au
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