First Language Maintenance & Development
Our school curriculum
Language is one of the most important gifts you give your child.
The language you speak with your children is the first language they will learn. It is their first connection to you, to the rest of their family, and to their culture and community. It is the language they first use to learn about the world around them. It is the language that helps them get “set for life” – and you are a central part of that process! To be the part of that process, here at NPS we have our FLMD program to maintain and develop the language spoken at home.
FLMD is a state funded program to support schools to maintain and develop the home language of students. The language supported are those of recent arrivals according to South Australian Census data. At NPS, we provide Hindi and Gujarati languages.
What we Teach
In FLMD, we provide opportunities for students to use their home language in a classroom setting. We encourage children to interact using their targeted language for fluency. We provide them with frequent opportunities to apply what they are learning about letters and sounds to the reading of words, sentences and stories. Students engage in a wide range of guided activities such as songs, games and storytelling.
Celebrations provide an opportunity to indulge in non-academic activities. It brings the whole school community together. Indians have many festivals to celebrate and enjoy as they have numerous states with unique practices in each of them. We take pride in glorifying Indian culture because of its broad spectrum. At NPS, we celebrate a wide range of festivals, including Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi and Raksha Bandhan. We believe that celebrations provide younger generations with deep knowledge about legends. We share mythological stories associated to every festival as it is a great way to understand and learn about culture of India.
If you would like to enrol your child in FLMD lessons, please contact our Deputy Principal Mrs. Toni Ballard, or the front desk, and we will get in contact with you.
