Read Aloud wants your story, attendance at Read-A-Palooza

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Children from homes with 100 or more books score up to 33 percent higher than their peers from homes with few books on tests in science, civics, geography, economics, math and visual arts, according to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

In recognition of that impact, Read Aloud West Virginia is launching an awareness campaign: S.T.R.E.A.M.: Reading runs through it.

“If our children are to succeed, communities and families must recognize the essential role reading plays in the acquisition and expansion of knowledge and skills,” said Lynn Kessler, director of communication and development for Read Aloud.

The popularity of programs in S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) and S.T.E.A.M. (add an A for art) prompted the non-profit organization to include reading in the equation, Kessler said.

“West Virginia’s students have hovered for years in the lower percentiles on national tests in all subjects. Read Aloud’s goal is to emphasize that reading is not only the foundation upon which other knowledge is built, but also a force that moves with us through our lives, enabling and shaping our learning in all areas, including science, technology, engineering, art and math.”

Read Aloud is asking people to share their stories through social media using #mySTREAMstory.

“Our hope is that people will express how reading has flowed through their life and enhanced their education and career,” said Kessler.  “Most of us know that reading is important and foundational, but I think we miss — or forget — that it also grows and goes with us. It’s the current that moves through everything we learn.”

The campaign began in February and will lead up to the non-profit’s annual fundraiser – Read-A-Palooza – on March 7 at Paterno’s at the Park in Charleston. For more information about Read Aloud or Read-A-Palooza, visit www.readaloudwestvirginia.org or call (304) 345-5212.

Read Aloud West Virginia’s mission is to motivate children to want to read. The organization offers programming in four primary areas—Volunteer Readers, Public Education, Book Distribution and Classroom Enrichment—in pursuit of their goal of keeping books in the hands and on the minds of West Virginia’s children.