Right now 15,000 children are urgently waiting for sponsors.

Our Programs
- Literacy programs
  Providing resources and support to help children living with disadvantage achieve the required reading standard.
- Technology programs
  Providing children and young people living with disadvantage with the critical skills, access, and equipment they need.
- Numeracy programs
  We support early years educators and community professionals in building foundational math skills in children under their care.
- Learning for Life
  Providing holistic, long-term support for disadvantaged young Australians throughout their education.
- Mentoring programs
  Mentoring programs for students living with disadvantage that provide the encouragement they need to build aspirations for their future.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs
  Our work engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in learning through education, life skills and role models, promoting culturally responsive practice.
Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs
Get Involved
- Ways to fundraise
  Learn about fundraising and give back to the community with The Smith Family.
- Volunteer with us
  Share your skills to help Australian children in need transform their lives through education.
- Partnerships
  Learn how your organisation can partner with The Smith Family and help build a better future for Australian children in need.
- Careers
  We aim to provide a working environment where staff and volunteers have the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
- Events
  Participate in events and activities that support young Australians experiencing disadvantage.
- VIEW clubs of Australia
  Learn about VIEW, a leading women’s volunteer organisation and support network with over 16,000 members, across Australia.
Ways to Give
- Sponsor a child
  Through child sponsorship, you will be matched to an Australian child in need, helping to support the cost of their school essentials.
- A gift in your will
  Ensure that future generations of Australian children have the support they need to make the most of their education.
- Monthly donation
  Become a monthly donor and provide continual support throughout all stages of a child’s education.
- Philanthropic giving
  Through your philanthropy, you can ensure that young Australians impacted by poverty get the education that all children deserve.
- Single donation
  Your donation will help young Australians in need by providing access to our Learning for Life education support programs.
- Workplace giving
  Making small, regular donations to The Smith Family through Workplace Giving is an easy way to help change the lives of young Australians living in poverty.
Login
Child Sponsorship
Donate now

NAPLAN 2015: Early intervention is key to lifting literacy and numeracy skills

Media releases

02 December 2015

Today’s release of the 2015 NAPLAN National Report into student literacy and numeracy shows some small improvements in some areas, mainly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. However, gaps remain between the level of literacy and numeracy skills of students from low and high socioeconomic backgrounds. Gaps also remain between the skills of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their non-Indigenous peers.

The Smith Family’s Head of Research and Advocacy, Anne Hampshire said: “It’s good to see there are some improvements in this year’s NAPLAN results, however a student’s background still has too great an influence on the literacy and numeracy skill levels young Australians are achieving.

“To achieve a substantial improvement in these results, we need targeted and sustained support prior to and throughout school for those children and young people who are falling behind,” Ms Hampshire said.

“This will help ensure all young Australians are able to acquire the key literacy and numeracy skills needed for them to thrive in the 21^st century.

“It’s much easier to ensure a child catches up and keeps up at school from an earlier age, rather than have them fall behind and become disengaged with their education.

“Strong literacy and numeracy skills are key foundations for young people completing school and moving into post-school employment and further education. Students who do not complete Year 12 are at risk of a lifetime of economic and social disadvantage.

“The key is ensuring young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds have the support they need to attend, achieve and complete school.

“We know an early intervention approach is the most effective way to help young people break out of poverty and, ultimately, will have a positive impact on Australia’s future productivity and standard of living.”

The Smith Family, Australia’s leading children’s education charity, supports 34,000 students who are living in disadvantage to attend school, complete Year 12 and progress into further study or employment.

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au