Ella Pedya, a language school in Sydney, specialises in introducing toddlers to their ethnic heritage through interactive classes.
Catering for children aged one to five, they believe the learning process can come exponentially, without inhibition or conscious effort.
“We believe that waiting until later years to develop familiarity and a love of the language doesn’t work,” says the school’s principal Evanthea Newton.
At Ella Pedya, classes are themed and typically include one hour of teaching followed by 15 minutes of play.
Mrs Newton, a first generation Greek Australian, wants to ensure her daughter remains connected to her heritage, going on to make the most of Greek school when she’s old enough to attend.
Ella Pedya promotes learning through combing traditional pre-school education techniques with the world-famous Montessori method.
“For this age group our aim is language and cultural familiarity rather than lecturing on semantics and syntax,” says Mrs Newton.
During its first year of operation, Ella Pedya has gained ground within Sydney’s Greek community as a new approach for setting linguistic and cultural foundations.
“There are many Greek playgroups around, but they don’t educate, whereas Greek schools cater to an older age group,” she says.
“We wanted to create an early age school which could combine both.”
Classes are conducted in Narraweena and Forestville, while future plans involve expanding to more suburbs.
For more information visit www.ellapedya.com.au