Better Beginnings

Better Beginnings Better Beginnings are made book by book. Building a love of reading for ages 0-5.

Tips to help parents read, talk, sing, write and play with their children aged 0-5 years. Better Beginnings is a Western Australian family literacy program that connects families with books through free reading packs for Western Australian babies, toddlers and kindergarten students.

Word tennis, anyone? Practise serve-and-return with your child. The next thing they ask, elaborate on their question to ...
04/09/2026

Word tennis, anyone? Practise serve-and-return with your child. The next thing they ask, elaborate on their question to keep the conversation going. Serve-and-return conversations build language, one conversation at a time

Indigenous Literacy Day 2026! This year's theme is Country is our Teacher. Discover stories by First Nations authors and...
02/09/2026

Indigenous Literacy Day 2026!

This year's theme is Country is our Teacher. Discover stories by First Nations authors and illustrators that encourage families to read, talk, learn and connect together.

Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) is a national celebration of First Nations peoples’ stories, cultures and languages created by The Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

• Animal Bungul: Animal Disco by Yirrkala Bilingual School
• Counting Crocodiles by Bulla School
• Can You Dance? written by Sally Morgan and illustrated by Kathy Arbon
• Country Tells Us When... by Tsheena Cooper, Mary Dann, Dalisa Pigram-Ross and Sheree Ford
• Counting Rockets 1, 2, 3 by Koonibba Youth Hub
• My Walk Through the Seasons on Ngaanyatajarra Country by Daisy Tjuparntarri Ward, Sharon Naparulla Burns, Sandy Robertson and students from Ngaanyatjarra Lands School

Welcome to the September Home Literacy Calendar. Handy tips to help you read, talk, sing, draw and play with your child ...
31/08/2026

Welcome to the September Home Literacy Calendar. Handy tips to help you read, talk, sing, draw and play with your child every day.

Read to Rover. Have a family pet? Invite your child to read a book aloud to them. Pets make great listeners.
27/08/2026

Read to Rover. Have a family pet? Invite your child to read a book aloud to them. Pets make great listeners.

Book Week is here! This year’s theme is Symphony of Stories.Discover the 2026 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA...
25/08/2026

Book Week is here!

This year’s theme is Symphony of Stories.

Discover the 2026 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Early Childhood Book of the Year shortlist and enjoy stories that encourage families to read, talk, wonder and learn together.

What are you reading together this Book Week? Tell us in the comments below.

• The Thing About Christmas, written by Jo Dabrowski and illustrated by Briony Stewart
• Derek, written by Anne Donaldson and illustrated by Matt Shanks
• Frogs Are Our Friends, written by Toni D’Alia and illustrated by Madeline White
• My Nonno Loves, written by Adelle Frittitta and illustrated by Claudia Frittitta
• The Colours of Home by Sally Soweol Han
• The Emperor’s Egg by Rae Tan (WINNER)

The Children's Book Council of Australia Briony Stewart Children's Book Council of Australia - WA Branch

STEM starts in the kitchen. Every stir, pour and mix helps children learn, contribute and grow in confidence.
22/08/2026

STEM starts in the kitchen. Every stir, pour and mix helps children learn, contribute and grow in confidence.

Make up songs to familiar rhymes and turn everyday moments into songs.
19/08/2026

Make up songs to familiar rhymes and turn everyday moments into songs.

Colour your world with a good book. Books about colours help children notice details, learn new words and describe the w...
16/08/2026

Colour your world with a good book. Books about colours help children notice details, learn new words and describe the world around them. They can also inspire curiosity and spark conversations.

Do you have a favourite colourful story to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

• Colour Me by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Moira Court
• Australia: Country of Colour by Jess Racklyeft
• Roo Knows Blue by Renée Treml
• Colours of Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
• Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and James Dean

Renee Treml - Author and Illustrator Penguin Books Australia iSimon & Schuster Australia Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Fremantle Press HarperCollins Children's Books Australia

Drawing and painting on a vertical surface such as an easel helps develop hand strength for writing.
13/08/2026

Drawing and painting on a vertical surface such as an easel helps develop hand strength for writing.

Put your right hand in, put your right hand out...If you're working on learning left from right, break out the Hokey Pok...
05/08/2026

Put your right hand in, put your right hand out...

If you're working on learning left from right, break out the Hokey Pokey! This party classic is more than just a silly song to enjoy together. As children sing, giggle and dance, they're also developing important skills that support their learning and development.

So turn up the music and shake it all about.

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State Library Of Western Australia, 25 Francis Street
Perth, WA
6000

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