Literacy campaign egg-citing for kids

The Paint Kwinana REaD Program has slowly taken over the city with red splodges and a growing egg in anticipation of its official launch tomorrow.

Children from all over Kwinana have been reading to the egg to help it grow into the program’s mascot of a red-tailed cockatoo, which will hatch at the opening that is being held at the Darius Wells Library from 9.30am.

The day will include the hatching of the mascot, games, face painting, singing, reading, craft activities and a scavenger hunt.

Smith Family project officer Candice Marsden said it was exciting to see the children making the connection that the egg would grow if they read or sung to it.

Paint Kwinana REaD has been driven by a collection of organisations that work within the region, to instil the importance of reading to children from an early age with the tagline of “have you read to a child today”.

Once the mascot is born there are plans for it to become a part of the community and appear at a collection of events to spread key messages about early literacy.

Smith Family manager for communities Denise Mathews said they had already received positive feedback from community organisations.

“Since putting the splodges up and the note of have you read to a child today with books next to it in a waiting room or a foyer, parents are actually using those books and reading to their child,” she said.