Let’s all read with babies from birthso they’re ready to learn at school

Let’s all read, talk, sing and rhyme with children from birth

Registrations open for 8th National Early Literacy Conference

Theme: Enhancing Early Literacy by Embracing Cultural Diversity

19 – 21 May 2021 on the lands of the Bediagal and Cabrogal Clans of the Darug Nation.

This conference will bring you the latest research and practical applications for early literacy through the lens of cultural diversity. There will also be a focus on engaging men and boys in reading with bubs from birth, and community ownership and partnerships in early literacy.

Come and join us, in person or online for our first hybrid conference — whether you’re from the city or the country, work in early childhood, library, child and family services, volunteer in a service club, or you’re a strategic planner in your government position. Or, more locally, if you want to start painting your own community REaD, or to strengthen your existing PTTR site.

We will have keynote speakers and workshops for all.

On registration you may choose either to attend in person at the conference venue — Bankstown Sports Club in Bankstown NSW — or online.

Register now!

Shareen Clayton painting
Conference painting by Shareen Clayton. Shareen writes: ‘The artwork represents family and community. So the centre shows mum, dad and bub having quality family time out in the sun reading a book. The middle represents being surrounded and supported by the extended family and the outer part represents local communities working together to support and engage local families.’

Thank you

Thank you to everyone in PTTR communities across Australia – for the way you have moved heaven and earth this year to keep the message of ‘Read with your Baby from Birth’ alive in your local communities.

Thank you to our wonderful donors who make our work possible – and to all the amazing volunteers behind the scenes. You are all awesome!

May you walk in peaceful and renewing places in this Season.

And of course READ! Here are some great suggestions from Paint Camden REaD NSW on Dharawal Country.

Artwork for 2021 Conference

Conference Theme: Enhancing Early Literacy by Embracing Cultural Diversity.

We are thrilled to share with you, the amazing artwork from Shareen Clayton, for our 8th National Conference 20 – 21 May 2021. (Easy dates for you to remember!)

In Shareen’s words: The artwork represents family and community.
So the centre shows mum, dad and bub having quality family time out in the sun reading a book.
The middle represents being surrounded and supported by the extended family and the outer part represents local communities working together to support and engage local families.

Paint the Town REaD and Paint the Town REaD, Black and Yellow ‘in a nutshell.’

Keep an eye out for the Registrations opening soon!

NAIDOC Week 2020 – Always Was, Always Will Be

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations as the first people of Australia.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We honour their cultural, spiritual and emotional connection to their traditional Country.
We thank our Aboriginal Elders and colleagues who graciously, patiently and with humour lead us in Paint the Town REaD, Black and Yellow

National Reconciliation Week 2020

In this Together

Today marks the end of National Reconciliation Week 2020.

Reconciliation between our First Nations and those of us who came later, is entwined in the life of PTTR.

A beautiful example from this week, was a poster developed by Paint Shoalhaven REaD, Black and Yellow in NSW, teaching children about staying safe during Covid 19. It has been shared across Australia to all our communities. And this week is being updated by The Swan community in WA. From Yuin sands to Noongar lands.

COVID-19 safety poster

Her Excellency, Mrs Hurley launches REaD and Sing with Me at Home.

This morning, Her Excellency Mrs Hurley launched our national campaign, REaD and Sing with Me at Home, on the Governor General of Australia’s Facebook page, by singing a song she has composed for us.

The campaign aims to remind families everywhere to read and sing with their children during this time of social isolation — and beyond.

Mrs Hurley loves singing and, as a teacher, parent and grandparent, knows so well how important (and fun!) reading with children is.

She launched the campaign by reading ‘GoGo and The Lost Book’, compiled by Paint Liverpool REaD, singing the song she has written for PTTR, and placing her own teddy in the gates of Government House.

To get inspiration about how you can participate, follow Paint the Town REaD and — above all — read and sing at home!

REaD and Sing with Me at Home

On Monday 27 April 2020, Her Excellency Mrs. Linda Hurley, wife of the Governor General, will launch Paint the Town REaD’s (PTTR) new national campaign: REaD and Sing with Me at Home.

The campaign aims to remind families everywhere to read and sing with their children during this time of social isolation — and beyond.

Inspired by the social movement of children putting teddy bears in windows, PTTR groups will provide fun reminders and suggested activities to promote singing and reading at home.

So watch this space — and our Facebook page.

Rhonda Brain with Reading Bug and Apprentice Joey reading at home
Rhonda Brain, PTTR’s Creative Director, gets REaDy for the launch, by decorating her home in Parkes NSW in red, and reading with the Apprentice Joey from Paint the Swan REaD in WA, watched over by the Reading Bug.

PTTR and COVID-19

In the middle of the world turning upside in the space of a few weeks, we are thrilled to tell you that our local PTTR community organisers are once more demonstrating their creative skills in how best to support families and children keeping the love of books alive — or introducing them to books for the first time.

From Paint the Swan REaD in WA, where staff from Clan Midland have spent ‘virtual’ time planning for how best to keep sharing the message of read, talk, sing and rhyme with your baby from birth, to Port Lincoln in SA, where the reading egg has still been visiting early childhood services, to D’Bay in Qld where Kooka their mascot has been very busy in services this week, through to Liverpool in NSW, where their mascot Gogo has been super busy practising nursery rhymes to sing with children online we are with you.

And in the background the PTTR Board has been meeting to implement strategic contingency plans

So, parents, grandparents, and all the family, keep an eye on your local PTTR facebook page and our national Paint the Town REaD Facebook Page for ideas and support. Check out your local library Facebook pages, too, for their live streaming of story times … you may even find your mascot there!

Chinese Translation for PTTR Booklet

Thank you to the Australian Chinese Charity Foundation for their generous grant to fund the translation of PTTR’s ‘How to Feed Your Baby’s Brain’ into Chinese.
Home language is so important for parents to use to read, talk and sing with their babies, so we are thrilled that we can now translate our most popular resource into Chinese.

Monica and Barbie with Baby’s Brain book
Monica Chu, Chairperson of ACCF, with Barbie Bates, Executive Director of PTTR, at ACCF’s 2019 Annual Dinner, where the grant was announced.

Mackay: State winners!

Congratulations Paint Mackay REaD, who in partnership with F5F at Mackay library, won the Queensland Local Government Authority Award for outstanding community service for their Berky Birthday Books.

The Mackay team celebrating their award at the Queensland Public Libraries Association Conference Dinner last Thursday.
Paint the Town REaD logo Paint the Town REaD ladybird Book Paint the Town REaD Ladybird body back Ladybird body front