When a child struggles to communicate, their emotional, social, and physical worlds can begin to unravel. However, when language flourishes, wellbeing follows. By viewing early learning through Te Whare Tapa Whā, we can clearly see how language and literacy uphold and safeguard the holistic wellbeing of tamariki.

As an empathy researcher and educationalist, I often get asked, "When should we actually start teaching empathy?" Is it in the primary classroom? Is it through formal high school leadership programs? Or is it at the Early Childhood Education (ECE) level?

Why Oral Language Matters Long before children learn to read and write, they learn to communicate through oral language. Oral language includes listening, understanding, vocabulary development, storytelling, conversation skills and self expression. Oral language includes listening, understanding, vocabulary development, storytelling, conversation skills, and the ability to express ideas, thoughts, and feelings. These skills form the foundation for literacy, learning, relation