Last week we were thrilled to join the South Australia Catholic Education SPICE program for the launch of their PTTR initiative – Paint Playgroups REaD, under the leadership of Emily Bowden.

All South Australia Catholic Education supported playgroups now have a Book Swap box for families to take books home, and the facilitators have received training in the power and importance of early brain development.

Paint the Lands REaD, Black and Yellow at Mimili

In November 2022, young children from across the Anangu Lands in South Australia – also known as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) – gathered together at Mimili to celebrate their year of daily reading, singing and dancing as part of “Paint the Lands REaD, Black and Yellow”. Mimili is the 100th PTTR community.

What a celebration that is for PTTR and what a wonderful way to end the year!

Watch some of the celebrations at Mimili here!

Today Paint Penrith REaD launched a new book for babies: Rooby’s Counting Book. The event, like so many PTTR events across Australia, epitomised everything that is important about PTTR.

• A collaborative partnership — between Mission Australia, Penrith City Council, a local business Featherdale Wildlife Park, and a local graphic designer, to name just a few.
• Senior managers committed to supporting grass roots workers and volunteers getting the message about REaD from Birth out into the community.
• Whole families invited. All activities reading, singing, drawing, looking at animals, focused around children.
• Children loving their PTTR mascot — Rooby Roo — and knowing what Rooby loves to do best of all — reading.
• Sustainability: being there for the long haul. In Penrith’s case, now over 10 years.
• A clear message: ‘Spread the word. Reading is important from Day 1!’

Rooby Roo has a special message for children who read and sing everyday. Well done! You are growing your brain. A big thank you to all family members who make time to read and sing with little ones. You are making a big difference in their lives.

From Noongar lands to Dharawal sands

From Dharumbal seas to a Palawa breeze

We Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders this NAIDOC Week – and always.

If so, we’d love you to donate to Paint the Town REaD in this financial year!

It’s as easy as. Just go to our Justgiving Page. As a registered charity, any gifts over $2 are tax deductible.

Helping prepare a child to be ready for learning at school takes patience and time. But it is critical for how well they will learn to read and write, matriculate and move into adult life.

You may not see the outcomes in your lifetime, but the children you help today will.

PTTR is thrilled to partner with the Readings Foundation to deliver this project with thirty early childhood services in Victoria within our PTTR communities.

Thank you Readings Foundation for your generosity.

Follow us on facebook to watch the progress of this great project!

Thank you everyone who has been part of the 2021 journey with us.

Children’s lives have been changed for the better through you, as you shared with them the love of books and reading.

So as a way of saying thank you – here are two activities you can do with your children and/or grandchildren/nieces/nephews/neighbours this week – as well as reading with them of course!

A Christmas Card to colour in and give to someone they love. A tangram puzzle to complete.

Although signed off earlier this year, COVID (or course!) has stopped us getting together in person – so we met over a ZOOM call today.

Needless to say lack of an official launch has not stopped Goodstart WA services and WA PTTR members working together, firstly with Decoration Packs for Goodstart Services, reading visits and a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and UWWA.

Watch this space for what the partnership will create in 2022!