Communities

Wynyard/Burnie, Tasmania

About the community

The Wynyard township and city of Burnie are located on the beautiful coastline of North West Tasmania. Nestled amongst their patchwork fields and rich red soil perched above the sea, the area bursts into colour when fields of tulips and canola flower in spring. Behind Burnie and Wynyard lie small villages dotted along country roads, each with broad views of beautiful patchwork green, brown and gold farmland.

Burnie, together with nearby Wynyard, had an estimated urban population of 26,869 in June 2015.

Wynyard/Burnie and the Let's Read program

The Let’s Read program commenced in 2008 as part of a state-wide implementation, funded through the State Government of Tasmania for a period of 3 years.  The program has continued in the Burnie and Wynyard communities with the support of The Smith Family and managed by the Learning for Life Worker. In 2016, the Let’s Read program is being delivered through the Launching into Learning groups at the Early Childhood Centre/ Acton hub.

Community stories

The Tasmanian LFL team has been busy over the last month planning, preparing and delivering Let’s Read Training across the state. From late August to mid-September staff delivered four training sessions to nearly 50 eager childcare workers and teachers.

 

For all bar one staff member this delivery was their first experience and included support from Family Partnership Co-ordinators who were upskilled in the delivery of Let’s Read in July. To ensure that session met the needs of the audience we had a team planning session in Burnie before the first session and staff had an opportunity to work on the methodologies needed to deliver the right message to the audience. Tasmanian schools deliver two programs targeting  parents :  Launch into Learning that targets pre-school children and Learning in Families Together that targets Kinder to Grade 2.


Both programs are delivered by teachers within the school and engage families and community to develop early literacy and numeracy skills.  The interest from these practitioners has been one of the biggest drivers for Let’s Read in The Smith Family communities across the State.

Aaron Roberts, Team Leader - TAS | The Smith Family

Sponsors

The Smith Family.

Key contact

The Smith Family

E letsread@thesmithfamily.com.au