Contact: Staci Maiers   (202) 822-7823

June 29, 2007

Kids Pack Libraries to Read Across Philadelphia

National Education Association kicks off summer reading program

PHILADELPHIA -- Move over Hollywood blockbusters, reading just got a whole lot cooler—and this year’s biggest sleeper is quite the page turner!

Instead of packing movie theaters, hundreds of children gathered today at the Free Library of Philadelphia and all its 54 branch libraries where reading out loud was not only encouraged—but celebrated—on the first ever Read Across Philadelphia Day, sponsored by the National Education Association, Philadelphia Reads and the Free Library of Philadelphia.

“Summertime is known for action-packed movies, but the best ones start in the imagination of young minds when kids open up a book and read,” said NEA President Reg Weaver. “When students file back into their classrooms this fall, headlining the list of what they did this summer should be that they read, read, read!”

Read Across Philadelphia Day comes on the heels of the recent Philadelphia Safe and Sound’s Report Card 2007 that revealed only 35 percent of local fourth-graders read at or above grade level.  With summer reading instrumental in helping to close the achievement gaps, NEA hosted the special read-in as part of its Read Across America program to encourage youngsters to develop a healthy love of books by making reading fun. 

The read-ins provided an opportunity for students to get their first library card, critical in helping to foster good reading habits for the summer.  Bilingual readings in Chinese and Spanish also were on the menu—showing that summer reading is important in any language.

The 3.2 million-member NEA, celebrating its landmark 150th anniversary, is in Philadelphia June 30–July 5 for its Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly, which is expected to attract more than 9,000 educators from around the country. 

More than 45 million readers—young and old—gather each year from coast-to-coast for exciting read-ins as part of NEA’s Read Across America, now in its 10th year.  Past celebrity participants include Gwyneth Paltrow, Morgan Freeman, Garth Brooks, First Lady Laura Bush, football Giant Tiki Barber and tennis superstar Serena Williams.

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators
and students preparing to become teachers.