Communities

Pilbara , Western Australia

About the community

The remote West Pilbara coastal region is approximately 1,535km from Perth. The Smith Family works with families living in the five towns in this area - Karratha, Wickham, Roebourne, Dampier and Port Samson.

The combined population figures are 22,900 of which 2,223 are Indigenous. There is a minimum of 25 per cent population turn over annually. This doubles with fly in fly out workers. 16 per cent of the population live in government housing.

Pilbara and the Let's Read program

Let’s Read was launched in the Pilbara in 2010.  The delivery of Let’s Read is coordinated by The Smith Family through the Karratha Early Years group. This group comprises of several agencies servicing families with pre school children. These include:

- Population Health (Child Health Clinic, Speech Pathologist and Occupational therapists

- Volunteers Parent (who is an ex staff member)

- Early Childhood Educators at schools and child care centres

- YMCA Mobile Hubs

 

Community stories

 

November 2019

Glenda Merto- Let’s Read sessions   

Let’s Read aims to ensure all children aged birth to five years have the chance to share books, songs and nursery rhymes every day via their relationships with the important people in their lives including parents, grandparents, carers and siblings. Therefore, free Let’s Read packs were given away to families of Gumala playgroup and Kindi-Link.

  Gumala Playgroup Kindi-Link
Date/Time of session 18 March 2019  9.30am 27 March 2019  9.30am
Number of families engaged 8 7
Activities provided Animal colouring sheets Animal colouring sheets
Packs provided 8 packs 7 packs

 

 

 

 

     

 

Karatha, 2015

On National Literacy Day in 2015, we went around 6 different venues dressed as a Fairy Godmother and read stories with the children. We gave students at schools stickers with positive words on them to read if they did well and followed teachers directions.

Children thought that reading was "Magical" especially as fairy dust glitter was left behind in footstep patterns in the grass or dirt as a farewell path!

Families engaged in the events, and at the Library families chose the books with the children to read. At the Women's Refuge, families had reading to children modelled to them and were offered Let's Read packs.

We had to attend the Karratha Early Years Meeting in costume to report on activities that had happened and were about to happen for Let's Read, as there was no time to change!

Daphne Trevurza, Program Coordinator

Teddy Bears’ Picnic, 2013

Karratha and the Shire of Roebourne families were in for a Teddy Bears’ Picnic treat on Wednesday. Many agencies supported the organiser LINK to attend and make it the “must do” on the early years calendar for families and some Primary Schools. Let’s Read was promoted by The Smith Family and at times by Izzy and a Teddy Bear!  

Activities offered by The Smith Family were:

  1. ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt’ and ‘Where is my Teddy’ (big book reading – literacy).
  2. Healthy food ‘fishing game’ - children fish with a magnet – healthy food items to create their version of a Teddy Bears’ Picnic basket (gross motor co-ordination and decision making).
  3. Numeracy through counting the number of Teddy Bears hidden high around our shaded area
  4. Stick a piece of “fur” Crepe paper onto a large Teddy Shape (sense of belonging and cooperation to achieve a goal, completed over the whole day).
  5. Parents - why it is important to provide learning using what we see every day around us to help our children learn (brain development in 0-5years).

 

Sponsors

The Smith Family

Key contact

The Smith Family

E letsread@thesmithfamily.com.au