Barbie Bates

Books for Bedtime

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!

PTTR wishes you all a Speedee REaDee Jingle Jangle Christmas!

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.

A tangram puzzle
Colour in this Christmas Card and give to someone you love!

‘Official’ Launch of Friendship Agreement between Goodstart WA and PTTR

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!

Pictured right to left:
Top row: Justine Roberts (WA PTTR Coordinator), Jo Brown (Performance Excellence Leader Goodstart WA),
Barbie Bates (Executive Director PTTR)
Bottom row: Todd Dawson (State Manager Goodstart WA) Andrea Folkard (Paint Wannaroo REaD)


New position for PTTR!

We are thrilled that we have been supported by the Waratah Education Foundation Ltd to employ a NSW Coordinator for two years.

We look forward in the coming weeks to introduce our new colleague to you.

Did you hear what I said? Paint Wednesday REaD!

Yesterday marked the launch of our latest REaD and Sing with Me at Home campaign, particularly for our communities who are in lockdown. We are celebrating reading and singing at home especially on Wednesdays.

Check out your local PTTR facebook pages – and share with your friends – to see what is happening in your local community.

Here are some:@Paint Inner West Read, @Paint Liverpool Read, @Paint Mt Druitt with Rooby Roo, @Paint Canterbury Read, @All Areas Family Day Care, @Paint the Gong Read, @Paint the Town REaD

For those of us in lockdown (or not!) Wednesday is the day to spend lots of time with our children reading and singing.

#readandsingwithmeathome

Paint the Swan’s recently released book has lots of great ideas of how families living in the Swan Valley survived last year – including chalk drawing on driveways, reading with their pets and baby brothers and sisters, paper mâché, making treats with dad, creative craft and music, writing letters and posting drawings to friends and grandparents..

Heal our Country!

Paint the Town REaD, Black and Yellow Celebrates!

Celebrating NAIDOC Week this year will be very different across our great land – as our PTTRB&Y (including PTTR) communities will celebrate according to COVID requirements.

We aim is to help close the early literacy gap for our First Nations children – led by local Elders.

This week especially we wish to acknowledge their eons of wisdom, love and commitment to their children, communities and land.

Conference ends and Reconciliation Week begins

Our 8th National Conference ended with the call for everyone present to meet up and yarn with Aboriginal friends and colleagues during Reconciliation Week, given the theme this year of More than a Word. Reconciliation Takes Action.

Aptly, with the Conference theme being Enhancing Early Literacy by Embracing our Cultural Diversity, the tone was set by Aunty Lyn Martin, when her Welcome to Country included her reading the Uluru Statement from the Heart to us.

Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley MH, PTTR Patron and guest speaker, Aunty Lyn Martin, and Cr Asfour, Mayor of Canterbury Bankstown, delegates and mascots at the 8th National Paint the Town REaD Conference in Bankstown, Sydney.

Their Excellencies the Governor General and Mrs Hurley to attend our 8th National Conference

We’re thrilled to tell you that Their Excellencies the Governor General and Mrs Hurley are attending our 8th National Conference on Thursday 20 May. Mrs Hurley (our Patron) will be opening the Conference. They will also be joining us for our Conference Dinner.

This is a great way for you to meet them, as well as receive up to date research and practice skills to incorporate into your early literacy practices.

Mrs Hurley is a terrific Patron for PTTR. Have a look at how she launched our National REaD and Sing with Me at Home Campaign last year.

Register now! It isn’t too late.

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.’
Paint the Town REaD logo Paint the Town REaD ladybird Book Paint the Town REaD Ladybird body back Ladybird body front