Steve Cooke (Everyday Literacy for Local Communities Project Officer) Media Release
Today, Tasmania’s Neighbourhood House network is celebrating the National Simultaneous Storytime. At 28 locations around Tasmania over 710 children, and their parents and carers, will be gathering to read and have fun with the staff and volunteers at Neighbourhood Houses.

Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania represents the 35 Neighbourhood Houses bringing communities together in low socio economic or isolated communities across Tasmania – from Geeveston to Zeehan, Clarendon Vale to Fingal Valley. To truly understand the great work and community change happening through our network please see our recent publication “Our Stories” on our website at this link Our Stories.

The National Simultaneous Storytime is an Australia-wide initiative of the Australian Library and Information Association (https://www.alia.org.au/nss). National Simultaneous Storytime is an annual campaign that aims to encourage more young Australians to read and enjoy books. Now in its 16th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children’s book that explores age-appropriate themes.

“We know that reading to and speaking with our pre-school children are the easiest ways to ensure our children are more likely to have positive outcomes at school, and are ready for a life time of fun with books. Given all our concerns about outcomes from education in Tasmania we hope this is just the beginning of families falling in love with books and learning, and isn’t it cool that children in families in 28 communities are sharing this moment toegether!” said Steve Cook, NHT’s Everyday Literacy Project Worker.

This year’s book is I Got This Hat. It was written by Jol and Kate Temple, and illustrated by Jon Foye. It is the story of a young person who has a lot of hats from a lot of places and from a lot of different people, and sensibly decides to wear none of them to bed.

This year across 28 Neighbourhood Houses more than 710 Tasmanian pre-school children will be joining over 500,000 other children across Australia to read the same story at the the same time. Each child who participates in the events at Tasmanian Neighbourhood Houses will receive a free book thanks to our funding from Tasmanian Community Fund.

The Neighbourhood Houses involved are: Beaconsfield; JRS Inc (Bridgewater); Burnie; Clarendon Vale; Deloraine; Derwent Valley (New Norfolk), Devonport; Dorset (Scottsdale); Dowsing Point; Dunalley; Nubeena; JRS Inc (Gagebrook), Fingal; Geeveston; Georgetown; Goodwood; Maranoa Heights (Kingston); Rocherlea; Okines (Dodges Ferry); Pittwater (Midway Point); Risdon Vale; Rosebery; Ulverstone; West Moonah; West Winds (Woodbridge); Zeehan; Ravenswood; and St Helens