Jess Teesdale (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I want to talk about something that is simple but can have an extraordinary impact on a child's life: reading aloud. Before entering this place I worked as a teacher and spent many years supporting students through literacy intervention, from prep right through to year 12 and beyond. Through that work I saw firsthand the difference that early exposure to books and stories can make. Children who grow up hearing stories, language and conversation arrive at school ready to learn. But children who miss those experiences can spend years trying to catch up.

The research in Australia is very clear. Studies on early language exposure show that children who are read to regularly hear well over one million more words before they start school than children who are rarely read to. Shared reading is so important. It helps children develop vocabulary, comprehension, and social and emotional skills. Those benefits can begin as early as infancy. We need words to be able to share our thoughts, feelings and needs. A broad vocabulary is integral to this lifelong wellbeing.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare notes that reading regularly with young children stimulates patterns of brain development, strengthens the bond between parent and child and builds language and literacy skills that children will need to succeed at school. We also know that Australian children value this time. Research also shows us that 86 per cent of Australian children say they love having books read aloud to them at home because it creates that special time with parents and carers. Yet, despite this, only around one in four Australian parents is actually getting that time to read aloud regularly with their children, which means that too many young Australians are missing out on those really key experiences.

Across the country there are remarkable community organisations working to fix that. Local library groups, which are absolutely fantastic, and groups such as Toast for Kids, Rosie's Reading and the Lighthouse Toowoomba are helping families access books and encouraging parents and carers to read with children every single day. Their work shows that supporting literacy is not just the job of schools; it is something that communities—and we—can do together.

This weekend I'm excited and looking forward to celebrating that message at Home Hill in Devonport—where Joe Lyons also lived, just for our Labor crew here, well, for everyone—where families will gather for a special event, encouraging parents and grandparents to read aloud to their children every day. It's a simple idea, but it can change lives because, when adults read to children, they're not just sharing a story; they're building language, building imagination and building the confidence children need to succeed at school and beyond. My message is simple: please read aloud to the children in your life every single day because sometimes the smallest daily habit can make the biggest difference to a child's future.