The benefits of speaking to children and a phone app to help parents of primary school kids was on the agenda when Education Minister John Paul Langbroek visited Cleveland Library on Wednesday.
Mr Langbroek steered clear of speaking about a federal senate inquiry into the integrity of the Newman government launched by the Palmer United Party on Tuesday night.
Instead, he concentrated on spruiking the benefits of a free phone app, called SPEAK, designed by three Cleveland State School teachers.
The app, which is for five age groups, shows parents and grandparents how to help their preppies improve oral language skills before they start primary school.
Cleveland State School deputy principal Stephanie Crick along with teachers Trish Blake and Clare Skelly developed the app after a successful library-based program for parents.
Mayor Karen Williams said she was proud the app was invented in Redland city.
Ms Crick said a census in 2009 proved language skills of students starting at the school were lacking.
"We got together in our own time and met up at The Coffee Club to develop the program which is the basis of the app," Ms Crick said.
"The SPEAK app is designed to help busy parents find free ideas and activities to encourage conversations with their kids."
Mr Langbroek said poor oral language skills disadvantaged many youngsters and in some areas more than 40 per cent of preppies displayed some form of oral language deficit.
“Along with the recently announced Best Start program which will improve language before going into school, this app delivers on our election promise to revitalise frontline services for families," Mr Langbroek said.
“The Australian Early Development Census data for 2012 shows 26.2 per cent of Queensland children are developmentally vulnerable or at risk on one or more developmental areas including language and cognitive skills,” he said.
Queensland ranks sixth behind other states in childhood literacy and anecdotal evidence shows many children entering Prep in Queensland arrive with poor oral language skills.
Cleveland MP Mark Robinson thanked Redland Libraries and Cleveland State School teachers for the important work developing the SPEAK app in partnership with the Department of Education.
“It’s great to see the app in action today and I am sure many local families and schools will find the program extremely valuable,” he said.
SPEAK app was developed through an early years’ oral language community partnership program – Speaking Promotes Education and Knowledge (SPEAK) – created in 2011.
It was designed in conjunction with Redland Libraries and the Department of Education, Training and Employment and the Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing.
It is available through iTunes and Google Play. To download this free app visit the app store and search SPEAK.
While in Cleveland Mr Langbroek also spoke about $6000 apprenticeship grants for employers who took on additional apprentices.
He said Redland City businesses would benefit from the incentive, paid in two stages with the first $4000 paid in October 2015 and the rest the year after.
Mr Robinson said the grants would help local companies who win contracts to work on large projects such as the development of Toondah Harbour and the Cleveland Train Station development.
Apprenticeships which started on or after July 1, up to June 30, 2015 will be eligible to apply.
