Mel Maria students share National Simultaneous Storytime
22 June 2022
Students from Mel Maria Catholic Primary School joined more than 2 million children across the globe, sharing their joy of reading as part of the annual National Simultaneous Storytime.
Now in its 22nd year, National Simultaneous Storytime is organised by the Australian Library and Information Association to promote the value of reading and literacy.
Each year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read at the same time in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.
This year, Family Tree by author and singer-songwriter Josh Pyke and illustrator Ronojoy Ghosh was the selected book for the simultaneous storytime on 25 May.
Family Tree shows the beauty of life through the growth of a tree that begins with a seed. It celebrates the values of community, unity and Australian diversity.
The storytime event attracted 2,186,347 registered participants at 59,038 locations, including overseas in New Zealand, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the USA, Vanuatu, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Fiji, Hong King, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia and the Netherlands.
Mel Maria Catholic Primary School Early Childhood Education Information Literacy teacher Megan Cooper said the event was well received at the Attadale school, which encouraged children into a lifelong love of reading.
“The library staff at Mel Maria celebrated by dressing up and dancing to the tune We Are Family by Sister Sledge. The whole school then enjoyed the live reading of the quintessentially Australian book, Family Tree,” Mrs Cooper said.
“In the library we promote a love of reading. Children who read increase their vocabulary, learn about the world, feel empathy for others, and become critical thinkers. Books help children to be calm and centred in this busy world we live in.”
National Simultaneous Storytime supports the value of reading and literacy in a fun celebration of books. It also promotes storytime events at libraries and in communities around the country.
