The Federal Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations has funded the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute $1 million over 12 months to implement a Let’s Read National Early Literacy Campaign. Building on existing evidence-based programs and leveraging off the designation of 2012 as the National Year of Reading, this campaign aims to develop and generate national, integrated early years literacy promotion and support.
The Let’s Read Campaign engages families, professionals and communities to promote reading with children from birth. Sharing books from birth helps children develop the skills they will need when it’s time to start school. Let’s Read anywhere, anytime is the national campaign call to action for families, carers and early childhood education professionals to share rhymes, songs and stories and books every day. The campaign uses a multi-tiered approach to engage families, professionals and communities in a range of messages relevant to children’s early literacy development from birth to five years.
Let’s Read was developed by the Royal Children’s Hospitals Centre for Community Child Health, Melbourne. The Murdoch Children's Research Institute and The Smith Family partnered to implement Let’s Read with communities across Australia. Read more about the Development of Let’s Read.
The Let’s Read campaign celebrity ambassadors are Jay Laga’aia and Liz Ellis.
Let's Read Champions
More than 30 high profile Australian parents have endorsed the Let’s Read campaign by answering two questions about reading with their children. Find out who is a Let's Read Champion.
Market Research
The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute conducted market research in 2012 to explore parent and carers attitudes, emotional response, views and understanding of the importance of reading with children from birth. The market research findings informed the development of a range of resources and campaign promotional materials, including the campaign tagline and key messages.
Campaign tagline and key messages
The Let’s Read campaign tagline anywhere anytime is a call to action for families to share rhymes, songs and stories every day with their children from birth. This tagline seeks to motivate and empower families to engage in practical, fun reading and literacy development activities that are achievable in their everyday environment.
The Let’s Read campaign key messages are aimed at promoting and reinforcing early literacy messages that encourage families to read anywhere and anytime in line with the Let’s Read campaign call to action. As recommended by the 2012 market research findings these messages have been developed to include procedural or instructional components, emotive components and outcome components. The eight Let’s Read campaign key messages are:
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Share rhymes, songs and stories every day
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Words are everywhere
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Read, learn and play with books
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Story time is a special time
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Bond with books
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Build a love of books
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Sharing books from birth helps children become better readers for life
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Sharing stories from birth gives children a great start to life
Friends of Let's Read
Stay tuned to learn more how Friends of Let’s Read are promoting early literacy across Australia.
Let's Read Video
Take a look at our brand new Let's Read video.
Let's Read radio advertisement
Listen to our new Let's Read radio advertisement, on air now!