She has over 20 years’ experience as a speech pathologist, primarily in community settings and paediatrics, with a special interest in literacy and early language skills.
Her presentation covered choosing the right books, how parents can support language and literacy development, and encouraging interactions and communication.
She also read selected stories to the children to demonstrate the best way to read to your child, so their early communication and literacy skills are supported.
“Communication is a really important part of life, and literacy is also because it’s around us all the time,” she said.
“The more developed your child’s skills are before they go to school, the better their chances are of acquiring sound literacy skills.
“In the long term, that means they’ve got better education options for higher education, employment and just overall wellbeing.”
Carly Marriott, a parent who attended the event, said holding the event at the same time library story times were normally held targeted the right audience.
“Having a speech pathologist really targets that demographic of mums and dads that are responsible for reading to their kids and kick-starting their literacy,” she said.
“Its just great to have access to a speech pathologist ... just boosting that awareness because you’re not really taught how to teach your kids (good literacy skills).”
Ms Bourchier said the best way to support early language and literacy skills was to read early and often to children, as well as interacting and responding to a child’s attempts at communicating.
Practising these skills helps provide the best start to communication and literacy skills, but speech pathologists are always there to assist if parents are worried about their child.
“We can talk them through (concerns), and if they’re school-aged children, speaking to their teachers and raising concerns early on, so they can get some assistance before it becomes a long-term issue,” Ms Bourchier said.
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