Children at a Maidstone kindergarten joined half a million Aussie kids last Wednesday to celebrate all things ‘hat’.
Dobson Kindergarten took part in National Simultaneous Storytime, an annual campaign to encourage reading from an early age.
Dobson director Nicolle Turner says the kindergarten first took part in Australia’s biggest storytelling session last year as a way of spreading the love of reading and encouraging literacy among children.
“This year we read I Got This Hat, written by Jol and Kate Temple. A highlight for us on the day was local mum and actor Sharni Page, who read the book to children in a fun, interactive and engaging way.”
Organised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the national storytime session is celebrated in more than 3000 pre-schools, schools, libraries, childcare centres, homes and bookshops simultaneously.
ALIA chief executive Sue McKerracher said I Got This Hat, illustrated by Jon Foye and published by ABC Books, is a humorous rhyming tale about the surprising world of hats.
“The book is fantastic at inspiring imaginations and that’s why it’s such a powerful choice for NSS, because this event is all about encouraging a passion for books and the magical art of storytelling,” she said.
Christ the King Primary School in Braybrook also joined this year’s event, aided by the reading talents of Western Bulldogs’ president Peter Gordon.
