Children across the Illawarra are eagerly anticipating their first day of kindergarten when school returns on January 28.

Among them is five-year-old Felix Williams, who will start classes at Windang Public School on Monday, February 2.

Born with a profound hearing loss, Felix began therapy at The Shepherd Centre in Wollongong at just four weeks old.

Felix received two cochlear implants at five months old and after five years of preparation at the centre, will begin his first year of primary school with speech and language skills at the same level as those of his peers.

Twenty-nine other deaf or hearing-impaired children will be joining Felix on his kindergarten debut in schools across NSW after completing preschool or school readiness programs at The Shepherd Centre.

Since it started in 1970, the centre has assisted almost 2000 children who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Tiffany Bennett is a listening and spoken language therapist at The Shepherd Centre in Wollongong and says the most important part of developing language is educating their parents.

"We empower parents by teaching them the skills to improve their child's speech and listening at home," she said.

"We are with them an hour a day but they are able to monitor these things all the time."

None know this better then Felix's parents, David and Jo Williams.

"The last five years have consisted of filling Felix's days with talking," Mrs Williams said.

"We make sure that learning [language] is just another part of his day and ensure that he doesn't miss any language that other kids his age pick up from overhearing conversations. Because he takes out his implants when swimming, there are a lot of words there that he misses, so we play with buckets of water a lot so that he is able to hear and learn those words."

Felix is looking forward to joining his older sister, Amelie, at school this year.

"He is so excited, they are best friends and do everything together," Mrs Williams said.

Information: www.shepherdcentre.org.au