West Elementary students “Read for the Record”

Groups who participated read the same book on the same day in homes and communities all over the world with the hopes of breaking the world record for the largest shared reading experience on a single day.

A different book is chosen every year and this year, the book chosen was The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

The Read for the Record program began in 2006, and WES Media Center Specialist Mary Kay Rogers began participating in the program in 2008.

“I found out about this program the first year I was here, and I knew it would be a way to show the children that reading is fun,” Rogers said.

Different readers were scheduled throughout the day to read to the kindergarten students. The readers used props and costumes to make the experience more fun.

“I love working with the children, and by doing this program each year, I hope to get the parents more aware that reading to their children at home is very important,” Rogers said.