News from the Field (September 2006)

In the heart of New York City, hundreds gathered to participate in Jumpstart's Read for the Record event in Rockefeller Center on August 24, and the Get Read to Read! program was there. The event was broadcast live on NBC's Today show with host Matt Lauer kicking it off by reading the story The Little Engine that Could. Over 300 children from across the metro-New York area followed along with their very own copies of this inspirational story. Throughout the day, guest readers such as award-winning author Frank McCourt, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, and Children's Workshop's Ed Greene read to groups of children.

The event was developed to raise awareness of the importance of early literacy in the lives of young children. The GRTR! team screened children using the GRTR! screening tool and spoke with parents and day care providers about how to increase early literacy skills in young children.  At the end of the day, 500 GRTR! screening tools and sets of skill-building activity cards were distributed.