The Hon Peter Garrett MP, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth officially launched the Let's Read campaign at the International QEC Conference in Melbourne on 15 November 2012.
The Let’s Read campaign engages families, professionals and communities to promote high quality early literacy environments for children aged from birth to 5 years old.
In July 2012 the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) funded the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute to implement a 12 month Let’s Read National Early Years Literacy Campaign.
"At the heart of the Let’s Read project is a simple concept – to give the gift of reading," Minister Garret said as he announced $1 million funding for the Let’s Read campaign. "It's vital that we address literacy early on in a child's life. This funding will help build the Let's Read project." Read Minister Garrett’s media release.
The Let’s Read campaign aims to develop and generate national, integrated early year’s literacy promotion and support activities to help all children gain the foundation skills for subsequent language, literacy and learning success. Broad-based multimedia messages, information and resources to support literacy rich home environments will be disseminated, targeting early childhood professionals and families.
The Let’s Read national early literacy campaign will:
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develop a large-scale national campaign so that families in Australia are aware of the importance of early literacy and how they can support their children’s emergent literacy development
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develop professional training and dissemination so children participating in early childhood education and care experience high quality early literacy environments and early childhood and health professionals share strategies with parents for promoting emerging literacy with their children
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develop support for disadvantaged communities so that vulnerable communities across Australia are mobilised to support families in providing emergent literacy experiences for their children
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develop ongoing sustainability for early literacy promotion in Australia so awareness is raised and used to stimulate co-investment by local communities, businesses and philanthropic organisations to ensure sustainability of early literacy promotion in Australia.
Read more about the Let’s Read campaign here.
The campaign is supported by the Let’s Read website. In 2013, there will also be links to parent and professional information on the Raising Children Network.
Stay tuned for details of the Let’s Read public launch for families and communities in 2013.
The Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Arts Minister Simon Crean joined 150 guests at the National Library on 12 November 2012 to celebrate achievements from the National Year of Reading at the National Year of Reading legacy event . 
Minister Crean used the opportunity to announce that Love2Read and Let's Read will come together to improve literacy and promote libraries across the country.
The two campaigns will work together to promote early literacy across Australia and build on the momentum established during the 2012 National Year of Reading.
Minister Crean stated that he was “pleased the Love2Read brand will be taken forward to promote the new campaign and will continue to be an inspiration for book lovers, libraries and schools”. Read Minister Crean’s keynote address.
Let’s Read and Love2Read will participate in joint venture activities with key initiatives and programs, increase awareness of early literacy and promote a sustainable call for action on early literacy development. This joint venture shares a national approach and common outcomes and will capitalise on opportunities provided by the 2012 National Year of Reading.
Stay tuned for developments of this joint venture between the Love2Read campaign and the Let’s Read national campaign in 2013.
In September 2012, as part of the Let’s Read campaign, The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) officially launched the Let’s Read endorsed services pilot nationwide with Goodstart early childhood services.
The endorsed services pilot will work with early childhood educators to promote the important role they play in literacy and language development and ensure that educators have the skills, support and resources to engage with children and families in emergent literacy and the activities that promote it.
Services will undergo two phases to become Let's Read endorsed services: completing the Let's Read training program and completing the endorsement accreditation. Learn more about the Let’s Read endorsed services pilot with Goodstart.
Let’s Read endorsed services
Let’s Read endorsement engages community health providers and early education and care services across Australia to contribute to improving Australian children’s literacy. The services will be supported with tailored professional development, resources, key messages and activities. Let’s Read endorsed services will be provided with assistance to develop programs and policies that engage children, families and their communities on the importance of early literacy activities such as reading, singing and nursery rhymes. There will be a particular emphasis on developing strong relationships with families.
The Let’s Read endorsement will also assist services to meet quality reforms by focusing on all elements of nationally relevant frameworks and standards. The initiative will support services to demonstrate elements of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Learn more about the Let’s Read endorsed services pilot.
An online training course is being developed to help community professionals learn more about early literacy, reading with young children and Let’s Read. The new Let’s Read online training will be available in 2013.
Read the latest stories from Let’s Read communities:
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Townsville Let’s Read, Queensland
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Caboolture, Brisbane North Let’s Read, Queensland
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Bundaberg Let’s Read, Queensland
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Coomera Let’s Read, Queensland
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Whyalla Let’s Read, South Australia
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Mirrabooka Let’s Read, Western Australia
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Collie Let’s Read, Western Australia
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Gunnedah Let’s Read, New South Wales
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Dandenong, Let’s Read, Victoria
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Broadmeadows Let’s Read, Victoria
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Sunshine West, Brimbank Let’s Read, Victoria
Let’s Read is designed to support and empower parents and carers to read with their children. It provides assistance for families to understand language and emergent literacy development and provide resources to help them stimulate their child’s learning. Get your community involved in Let’s Read.
Let’s Read was developed by the by the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and The Smith Family have partnered to implement Let’s Read with communities across Australia. Since this partnership was established in 2005 the Let’s Read Community Program has been delivered in 104 communities across 7 Australian states and territories, nearly 200,000 Australian children in more than 100 have participated in the program with over 44,000 books distributed to families See who else’s involved.
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