Picture it: a parent and a young child, snuggled together with a picture book in hand. It’s a beautiful and familiar sight for many of our readers, I know. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many children across the U.S., and early and frequent exposure to books can be one of the most important factors in a child’s educational success later on in life.
Enter Jumpstart, a national early education organization that works to “help children develop the language and literacy skills they need for school, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it is too late.” It’s getting close to Jumpstart’s annual global event, Read for the Record, in which the goal is to set a new world record of 2.1 million readers, all on one day!
Participating is easy, and trust me, with the book that is being highlighted this year, it will be a blast. On October 6, 2011, parents, caregivers and educators are encouraged to read Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama with the children in their lives. Enjoy a fabulous picture book together, and take a moment to emphasize the importance of books in every child’s life.
The best part is that thanks to We Give Books, the book is being offered for free online, in addition to the 50,000 copies that have been donated to children in more than 200 school districts across the country as a part of the Read for Our Schools campaign!
Speaking as both a parent of three children and a preschool teacher, I am passionate about the importance of books in children’s lives. On a daily basis, I see the joy that picture books can bring to three and four year old faces, the wonder that is inspired by nonfiction texts that introduce new real-world topics to young kids, and the simple fun that comes from holding a book in one’s own hands. I highly encourage you to draw the young children in your life close with a copy of Llama Llama Red Pajama on October 6 to join in the world-wide Read for the Record!
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For even more Llama Llama fun, please check out Nancy’s review of Anna Dewdney’s latest picture book, Llama Llama Home With Mama on 5 Minutes for Mom. You can enter to win a copy of all FIVE Llama Llama books and an adorable plush Llama stuffed animal.
I’d love to hear your feedback on Read for the Record here, so please leave a comment. However, remember that if you want to enter to win the collection of Llama Mama books, you need to leave a comment over at 5 Minutes for Mom on Nancy’s review.
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When Dawn’s not reading with her own kids or her students, she’s often got a book of her own in her hands. She tries to find time to chat about books, teaching, and wacky kids on her blog, my thoughts exactly.
Just marked it on my calendar, and checked out the book via the “Read for the Record” campaign.
It looks like when you log in, the book is donated to the campaign, which is part of their goal (to get 50,000 books donated), in addition to the actual reading on October 6.
Thanks for letting us know about this.
It’s a great mission and a great book, so it’s a definite win-win!!