the pyjama foundation's readathon

Gearing up for a term full of reading - The Pyjama Foundation's first Readathon is gathering supporters now to read ten books before the end of June, and to raise funds to enhance children's literacy development.

Register yourself or your school as a fundraiser, or donate to my campaign here. Thank you! Here's what they say online:
The Pyjama Foundation is transforming children’s lives through literacy. We are committed to giving children in care the same opportunities in life as other children. Through our volunteer 'Pyjama Angels' we deliver a read aloud program to assist children in foster and alternative care in Australia improve their literacy. Literacy is critical to a child's success in life.

Participants review in print or with a YouTube video, and an outstanding review can win a TV studio visit. The school that raises the most money will be visited by author Nick Earls and Queensland’s Australian of the Year 2009, The Pyjama Foundation’s CEO & Founder, Bronwyn Sheehan. Excellent, much?

You will read marvellous stories while in your pyjamas.
- new Australian saying.

RAP and NSS

What better way to start the day than to share a book. I've signed up to work with a student on the Reading Assistance Program (RAP). Yes, I'm a RAPPER, along with about ten other volunteers. We're assigned a student between two volunteers and we each spend 45 minutes with them each week - so they get an hour and a half of one on one reading time. This week we were reading a story about Rosie who likes red things, so apart from reading a few chapters we also wrote red-related words on the chalkboard (roses, stop sign, fire engine, paint..) to extend L's vocabulary, and played snap with the M100words (the red set).

Make sure you're in your school or public library on Wednesday 27th May to participate in National Simultaneous Storytime with the whole of Australia. Everyone's reading Pete the Sheep at 11am -it's a funny book.
A bit like The Man from Ironbark with animal characters. I suggest / challenge a library partner with a woolshed or a hairdressing salon to take NSS to unusual places. Jondaryan Woolshed looks good.Where will you be for NSS?

typekey treasures

Kathleen Noonan does it again! She revisits Shelly Jackson's Skin project and alerts me to this stunning Australian site - Typekey - which will do for me until I get my READ pin from America. Danni creates these bracelets, necklaces, cufflinks and earrings from old typewriter keys. Love it, much?