NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent data from the
Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™: 6th
Edition, revealed that kids ages 6–11 and their parents
agree that they enjoy read-aloud time, the top reasons being it is
a special time together and reading together is fun. In recognition
of the power and joy of reading aloud, global literacy non-profit
LitWorld and title sponsor Scholastic, the global children's
publishing, education, and media company, are teaming up to host
World Read Aloud Day on February 16,
2017. To find tools and tips to help you celebrate World
Read Aloud Day, visit litworld.org/wrad/.
Now in its eighth year, World Read Aloud Day rallies individuals
and organizations in more than 50 U.S. states, territories and the
District of Columbia and more than
100 countries worldwide to call attention to the importance of
reading aloud and sharing stories with children of all ages – even
those who can read on their own. The same Kids & Family
Reading Report shows the frequency of reading aloud to young
children 5–7 days a week has increased since 2014 among parents
with kids ages 3–5 (55% to 62%), yet there is still a significant
drop in frequency after ages 5 and 8.
To help all families keep reading aloud and enjoying this
special time together, World Read Aloud Day 2017 activities and
resources can be found at: bit.ly/2kqGk7l and include:
- Facebook Live: On February
15 (3:30p.m. EST/ 12:30p.m. PST), Scholastic will host a Facebook
Live event with Pam Allyn, Executive
Director of LitWorld and founder of World Read Aloud Day. During
the Facebook Live, Pam will provide her top tips on how to conduct
a successful read aloud for all ages, followed by a read-aloud
demonstration.
- Scholastic Reads Podcast: Scholastic Reads, a
podcast about the joy and power of reading, will release a special
episode on the importance of reading aloud to children. Guests
include: actor, comedian, and author, Nick
Cannon; author and Coretta Scott
King Award winner, Andrea Davis
Pinkney; and co-authors of Every Child a Super
Reader, Pam Allyn and
Ernest Morrell.
- Blogs for Parents and Educators: Nick Cannon and Pam
Allyn will contribute special guest posts to Scholastic
corporate blogs, On Our Minds and edu@scholastic, sharing personal
experiences with reading aloud to their own children, and
highlighting the importance of having read-aloud time in
school.
- The Book Whisperer: Back to the Books: In her latest
video episode for The Book Whisperer: Back to the Books,
Donalyn Miller, Scholastic Book
Fairs Manager of Independent Reading, explores the benefits of
reading aloud and previews engaging read-aloud titles for K–8
students.
- Scholastic Book Fairs World Read Aloud Day Kit: Families
and teachers can host their own read aloud party with the free
downloadable Scholastic Book Fairs kit. The kit provides ideas for
hosting a read aloud event and includes read aloud program
materials, printable bookmarks, tips for facilitators and more!
Throughout the month of February, the kit will be distributed to
more than 1,200 school book fairs that will be held on or around
World Read Aloud Day.
- Free Downloadable Resources: Free resources for
scheduling virtual read aloud connections with published authors
and other classrooms across the globe are available on the LitWorld
website.
- The Super Reader Movement Contest: Now through
March 1, 2017, educators in the U.S.
can enter for a chance to win a 7 Strengths Classroom Library by
sharing a story of how a struggling reader became a super reader.
One grand prize winner will receive a $1,000.00 gift card to the Scholastic Teacher
Store to create a Super Reader Classroom.
- Scholastic Reading Club: Scholastic Reading Club has
provided more than 115,000 teachers with a quick guide book that
includes top tips to empower all children as readers from the
popular professional learning title Every Child a Super
Reader. In addition, educators also received a "7 Strengths of
a Super Reader" poster and a letter from Pam Allyn that introduces World Read Aloud Day
and the critical importance of reading aloud.
- My Very Own Library Events: From February
14–22, Scholastic Book Fairs, in collaboration with the
non-profit literacy organization My Very Own Library, will be
hosting read aloud events at schools in Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Kansas City, MO; Newark, NJ; Richmond, CA; and Wilmington, DE. At each event, students will
enjoy read aloud moments with popular Scholastic authors and will
receive three brand-new books of their choice to add to their home
library.
In addition, various Scholastic International locations are
supporting World Read Aloud Day around the globe, including:
Australia, Africa, Asia,
Canada, India, Latin
America, Puerto Rico,
New Zealand, the United Kingdom and more. These locations will
be hosting various read aloud family events at schools, bookstores
and libraries, and sharing free downloadable read aloud resources
for families and educators online.
QUOTES:
Pam Allyn, Executive
Director of LitWorld:
"On this World Read Aloud Day, we gather with advocates
around the world to share our message that all children must have
access to the books, stories and imaginations they yearn for.
Reading aloud with children not only helps them further develop
their own literacy skills, but also empowers them to become
lifelong readers."
Dick Robinson, Chairman,
President and CEO of Scholastic:
"Data from the Kids & Family Reading Report reveals just
how much parents and kids value time spent reading together.
Besides being joyful, reading aloud to children at an early age—and
even after children can read aloud on their own—can have a profound
effect on children's language and literacy development and support
their ability to think critically and communicate effectively. We
are pleased to help spread these important messages to families,
children and educators around the world on World Read Aloud
Day."
Join the conversation using #WRAD17.
For more information about LitWorld,
visit http://www.litworld.org/.
For more information about Scholastic, visit the media room
at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/litworld-and-scholastic-celebrate-world-read-aloud-day-with-educators-and-families-300405105.html
SOURCE Scholastic