CLEVELAND — March 2 is Read Across America Day – and to celebrate it, 3News staffers are sharing the books they love to read aloud to little ones.
For anchor Laura Caso, it’s “How to Put an Octopus to Bed,” a book she regularly reads to son Jackson. Reporter Mike Polk Jr. says his childhood favorite is Shel Silverstein’s “A Light in the Attic,” and producer Savannah Jackson loves African folktales like “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears.”
These are just a handful of the books that have been collected here at the station over the past few weeks. Our employees have brought in nearly 300 copies of their favorite books, from “Green Eggs and Ham” to the Harry Potter series, in support of our “Education Station” initiative at WKYC Studios.
On Read Across America Day, the books will be donated to our station’s adopted school, Harvey Rice Wraparound School in Cleveland’s Buckeye neighborhood.
Reporter/anchor Danielle Wiggins will visit the school on Thursday morning to read to a class and hand out the donated books. Many are inscribed with personal notes to the Harvey Rice students from 3News staffers. Meteorologist Jason Mikell donated two books with fittingly weather-related titles – “Let It Snow” and “The Snowy Day” -- and in his notes, he wrote “The world of weather is a fascinating one and I hope this book brings you lots of joy.”
Read Across America Day was established in 1997 by the National Education Association. It’s a day that showcases the joy of reading and reminds us all that literacy is vital for academic and professional success. Research shows that regularly reading aloud with your young child stimulates their brain and expands their understanding of the world.