If it feels like your little one is growing faster than you can keep up, you’re not alone. Many families begin wondering how to make the most of those last precious years before school. Is one year of preschool enough, or would two years offer more time to grow, explore, and build confidence?
Recent research shows that two years of quality early education can make a lifelong difference, helping children build stronger foundations for learning, wellbeing, and success.
The Science Behind Early Learning
From birth to five years old, children’s brains develop faster than at any other stage of life, forming over one million new neural connections every second. Around 90% of brain development occurs by age five (source: education.vic.gov.au), making these years critical for growth.
According to research from the Mitchell Institute, children who attend two years of preschool or kindergarten show stronger outcomes in literacy, numeracy, social skills, and emotional regulation than those who attend for one year (source: vu.edu.au).
Countries like New Zealand and the UK already recommend at least two years, and around 20 hours a week, of play-based learning before school.
What Makes Our Two-Year School Readiness Program Different
At Milestones Early Learning, our Lifelong Learning Curriculum includes a two-year School Readiness Program for children aged three to five. Each program is led by a Bachelor-qualified Early Childhood Teacher, ensuring your child benefits from expert guidance and evidence-based practice every day.
Learning is hands-on, project-based and fun. Children engage in open-ended exploration through programs such as:
- Big Thinkers STEM - sparking curiosity through science, technology, engineering and maths.
- Positive Living Skills - supporting social-emotional wellbeing and resilience.
- Early Years Toolbox - helping educators track and strengthen school readiness outcomes.
- MathSeeds and Reading Eggs - building early literacy and numeracy confidence.
Beyond the classroom, every child enjoys fresh, nutritious meals prepared onsite, daily opportunities for outdoor play, and enriching extra-curricular activities such as sport, yoga, and music sessions, all included in your enrolment.
This balanced approach ensures children develop academically, physically, and emotionally, giving them the confidence to step into primary school ready to thrive.
A Practical Benefit for Families
From January 2026, the Australian Government’s new Child Care Subsidy (CCS) 3 Day Guarantee will make it easier for families to access consistent, high-quality early learning.
This initiative ensures that eligible families can receive CCS for at least three days of care per week (equivalent to 72 hours per fortnight), regardless of work or activity hours (source: servicesaustralia.gov.au).
That means you can confidently plan your child’s attendance, or extend their days, knowing you’ll have ongoing financial support.
Find out more about the Child Care Subsidy and 3-Day Guarantee.
Lifelong Learning Starts Here
Every milestone in early childhood matters, and those final two years before school are some of the most important. With two years of kindergarten or preschool at Milestones, your child has more time to:
- develop independence and curiosity
- strengthen friendships and communication skills
- build confidence through project-based learning
- enjoy nutritious meals, creative play, and enriching extracurriculars every day
If you’re considering whether your child might benefit from two years of kindergarten, or would thrive with more learning days each week, we’d