The Early Childhood Education (ECED) program at Cleveland State Community College will be celebrating Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, a national campaign designed to break the world record for the largest shared reading experience ever, while also working to break the cycle of illiteracy.     

Students from the ECED program volunteered to read to young children in the CSCC Library during Jumpstart’s Read for the Record event held on Thursday, from 3-5 p.m. This year’s book will be “The Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad” by David Soman and Jacky Davis.  

Suzanne Wood, associate professor and coordinator of Early Childhood Education said, “What we know now is that children who are read to early and often are better readers and writers, and we are taking part in this event to encourage and celebrate literacy. I cannot think of anything more valuable that you could give a child than the love of reading and good books.” 

Jumpstart– through Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign and intensive early education programs – puts books in the homes of children who need them most and focuses on helping them make gains in crucial language and literacy skills. The Pearson Foundation, Sponsor and Founding Partner of the campaign, is once again underwriting the cost of the campaign book, which this year is “The Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad.” The Pearson Foundation is also helping to organize events nationwide with governors, mayors, school districts, and other community organizations. 

The 2012 campaign was designed to encourage young people, their families, and educators everywhere to set another world record by creating the largest shared reading experience ever on Thursday. The day’s activities were designed to generate public awareness about the importance of early childhood education. Shared reading experiences can range from an adult and child reading in their home to large group events with hundreds of people gathering at public facilities for community reading sessions. Last year, 2.2 million children participated in Read for the Record, and they hope to surpass the number this year.  

“Many people may not be aware that we have a really great children’s collection in our library, especially for a library that has not had an ECED program that long. There are over 200 book buddy bags available for parents, teachers, and childcare centers to check out. In addition to that, there are over 2,000 children’s books available. Many of these books were donated to the college by former teacher Jane Noah. She donated her very own personal collection of books she had been collecting her entire life. TECTA (Tennessee Early Childhood Alliance) also donated over $2,000 for the furniture that is in the children’s section.” 

In partnership with Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation, Cleveland State supports early education and literacy development and encourages the entire community to learn more about this important campaign by visiting www.readfortherecord.org. For more information on the Early Childhood Education program at Cleveland State, contact Suzanne Wood at 423 472-7141, ext. 282. For more information on the Cleveland State Library, contact them at 423 472-7141, ext. 209.

Jumpstart’s mission is to ensure that all children in America enter school prepared to succeed. Year-round, Jumpstart recruits and trains thousands of people to work one-to-one with children in low-income communities, helping preschoolers develop the language, literacy, and social skills they need to succeed in school and in life.  

Since 1993, thousands of Jumpstart mentors have helped more than 75,000 children from low-income communities around the country enter school ready to learn at grade level. To find out more, visit http://www.jstart.org.

The Pearson Foundation extends Pearson’s commitment to education by partnering with leading nonprofit, civic, and business organizations to provide financial, organizational, and publishing assistance across the globe. The Pearson Foundation aims to make a difference by sponsoring innovative educational programs and extending Pearson’s educational expertise to help in classrooms and in local communities.

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign is just one component of the Pearson Jumpstart partnership. Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation share a passion for education and inspiring people to reach their full potential. These shared goals and values led Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation to create the Pearson Teacher Fellowship in 2001. In 2006, Pearson and its businesses The Financial Times Group, The Penguin Group, and Pearson Education became the Sponsor and Founding Partner of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, which to date has raised $7 million for Jumpstart’s work to help preschoolers from low-income communities with their language and literacy skills.