Video by Kerri McCune/CNS-TV
WASHINGTON – Local schoolchildren joined together with members of Congress Thursday in Washington, D.C., to help break the world reading record.
Approximately 90 pre-school children from the district joined more than two million children and adults to read Llama Llama Red Pajama, a book about a baby llama getting tucked into bed at night by his mother.
The event was created by Jumpstart, an early education organization that promotes language and literary learning for pre-school aged children from low-income neighborhoods.
In 2010, Jumpstart broke what is says is the world record when 2,057,513 children around the world read a single book. Organizers expect a larger number this year.
“In D.C. we’re looking to raise the profile of the importance of early literacy and not only to engage our local leaders, but also some of our national leaders,” Jumpstart DC executive director Katey Comerford said.
According to the DC Comprehensive Assessment System, two-thirds of economically-disadvantaged third graders scored below proficient in reading this year.
Members of Congress filtered in and out during the event to read to children and support the organization.
The U.S. Senate declared October 6 national Jumpstart’s Read for the Record day and district Mayor Vincent Gray declared the day Read for the Record in Washington, D.C.