Setting a reading record

Doing their part to promote literacy, students at the Lynbrook School District’s Waverly Park School took part in Read for the Record Day to help set a new world record for the largest shared reading experience. They joined over 2.5 million adults and children all over the world to read the Ezra Jack Keats children’s classic “The Snowy Day,” a story that follows the adventures of a boy named Peter as he experiences the very first snowfall of the season.

The entire student population assembled in the gymnasium, breaking into reading circles for a special surprise. Even though it was an unseasonably warm October morning, reading teacher Maria Viviano-Farry, School Media Specialist Jacqueline Marino and Principal Lucille McAssey dressed in hats, mittens and scarves to set the mood, reading aloud about the joys of snow while the students followed along with their teachers. After participating in a lively discussion about the book, everyone agreed that they had enjoyed their shared reading experience and were proud to be part of history in the making.

Presented in partnership with the Pearson Foundation, Jumpstart’s Read for the Record encourages record-breakers to spread the word that reading with a child before he or she enters kindergarten can improve his or her chances of graduating from high school by as much as 30%. In the process, Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation aim to draw attention to the growing crisis for disadvantaged young children whose literacy experience is limited. As part of this program, over 200,000 free books were distributed to children around the country.