Friday, February 26, 2016

World Read Aloud Day by Tina Cho

Read aloud. Change the World.

That is this year’s theme for World Read Aloud Day. According to LitWorld, 793 million people are illiterate. “Imagine a world where everyone can read.”



World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) began with one woman, Pam Allyn, who visited Kenya and saw the extreme poverty and the need children had there to read. She started a nonprofit organization called LitWorld in 2007. Their mission is toimplement on-the-ground innovative solutions to the hard-to-tackle challenge of illiteracy worldwide.” They “work in close and trusting partnerships with locally based, grassroots organizations to build sustainable outcomes for young people around the world.”

“Every year World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) calls global attention to the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories.”

WRAD is one of the events hosted by LitWorld. It began in 2010, and now 82 countries and millions of people online and live in-person take part in this wonderful day that shows the importance of reading.

This year’s WRAD was Feb. 24th, 2016.

Laura Sassi, author


I was privileged to take part in WRAD at my school. We invited two authors for February, and they aren’t strangers to the GROG blog—Laura Sassi and Nancy I.Sanders. They both graciously agreed to Skype with our elementary in South Korea.

Skype with Laura Sassi


First, we Skyped with Laura Sassi, author of Goodnight Ark and Goodnight Manger. This was the first time my school had done an author Skype. In the words of one of the students—it was awesome! Laura read Goodnight Ark to us and commented about writing and illustrating things along the way. She also brought out her skunk puppets! My own students came back to my classroom pumped and eager to write a book. Thank you, Laura!

Nancy I. Sanders, author



Second, we Skyped with Nancy I. Sanders, author of A Pirate’s Mother Goose, Get to Know Bible Biographies, and a host of other books. Our lower elementary made pirate hats and brushed up on our pirate lingo to prepare for Nancy’s Skype session. She read a couple of nursery rhymes from her new pirate book and One Sentence Storybooks. The kids enjoyed asking her questions in both our k-2 and 3-5 sessions. Thank you, Nancy!

Skype with Nancy I. Sanders

In my opinion, you don't need to wait for World Read Aloud Day to read with a class of students. Teachers will be glad to have you come to their class in person or virtually. And it's a great way to get encouraged in your writing, by influencing youngsters to read and write. Have you read to a child lately?


26 comments:

  1. What a lovely post! And I heartily agree that reading aloud is something to celebrate everyday! Thanks for having me via Skype! And I LOVE that the kids wore pirate hats for Nancy Sanders visit.

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    1. Thanks, Laura. We had a wonderful time with you! And the staff was encouraged, too!

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  2. Yes!
    Wonderful article, Tina.
    I read to two kindergarten classes on Feb. 24th (yesterday).
    The three books - THE HIP HOP DOG, LITTLE CLOUD & THE DOT.
    This is a very diverse school & student group & I always am so lifted by their giggles.

    For your students I can feel the excitement come through your post, about the first SKYPE party. Brava!

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    1. How fun, Jan. That's great you participated, too!

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    2. Aww. So much fun.

      It's not always possible to catch all the literacy/reading/book/library celebration "days" to join in.

      But this week's Dr. Seuss festivities are top on my list. I have 2 visits on the calendar.

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  3. WRAD, great way to help children become literate. Good post!

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  4. Very fun! And yes, don't wait for WRAD, read aloud every day!

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  5. Such a blessing you were able to include these two authors in your school day. Isn't modern technology wonderful?

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  6. What a great post. I had fun doing a Skype visit to two schools here in the US. Doing one abroad really honors the WORLD part of read aloud day!

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    1. I'm glad you were able to Skype as well! Those kids were blessed to have you!

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  7. Tina, It sounds like your students had an awesome WRAD. Wish I could have been the fly on the wall listening in.

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    1. They did. I'll be reading them your book soon.

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  8. This is a great post. There is so much we can do to give children, early on, a love for reading.

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  9. Oh wow, Tina. So happy to hear you were able to share with classroom, and that Nancy and Laura dropped in for a visit. Your students must have been thrilled. :-)

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  10. Fabulous, Tina! And how great that Laura and Nancy were able to participate in your classroom...gotta love Skype! Thank you for sharing this World Read Aloud Day experience with us. ;)

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    1. And someday, Vivian, it will be YOU and your new book!

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  11. Extraordinary day for you and your students, Tina. Extraordinary authors for your classrooms. I can't believe that we travel to all ends of the earth via internet, now!

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    1. Exactly! I like your word--extraordinary, Mona!

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  12. Read Aloud Day at your school looked amazing, Tina! At the library where I work, I put up a display of great read-aloud books for various ages and encouraged our customers to read aloud on the 24th (and any other day they wanted to!). The display was wiped out several times. Hooray!

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    1. Oh, I didn't know you worked at a library. How fun! Glad you celebrated there, too!

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    2. New part-time job from November 2015. I love it!!

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