University of Kentucky Takes Part in Jumpstart's "Read for the Record" Campaign

In an effort to assist children in gaining the language and literacy skills they need when they enter kindergarten, the University of Kentucky Jumpstart program took part in the national Jumpstart Read for the Record Campaign on Thursday, October 2, 2008.

The 2008 Jumpstart Read for the Record campaign attempted to create the largest shared reading experience when young and old alike read the beloved children's classic "Corduroy." The previous record was set during last year's campaign on Sept. 20, 2007, when 258,000 people across the country read the same book. Not only was the record set in 2007, more than $1 million was raised to finance the organization's early childhood work in low-income communities.

"We're excited about this opportunity to demonstrate that reading makes a difference in the lives of children and to model the power and pleasure of reading," said Katherine McCormick, associate professor in the College of Education.

Jumpstart recruits and trains adults to provide early education programs via yearlong one-to-one relationships. Jumpstart Corps members work with preschool children from low-income backgrounds on language, literacy, social and initiative skills. Led by co-principal investigators McCormick and Sharon Stewart, associate dean for academic affairs in the UK College of Health Sciences, UK Jumpstart partners with the Head Start program and the Fayette County Public Schools Early Start program.

UK's Jumpstart Read for the Record effort provided a number of events across Lexington, Ky., including UK Provost Kumble R. Subbaswamy reading to the students at the UK College of Education's Early Childhood Lab, Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear reading to children at the Bracktown Child Care Center and Fayette County School Superintendent Stu Silberman reading to Early Start students.

"The Provost's participation in this campus and community partnership is a perfect example of community engagement and of the commitment of UK to the Lexington community's effort to improve educational outcomes for young children in Lexington," McCormick said.

For more information about the national Jumpstart program, please visit www.jstart.org. More information about the national Read for the Record campaign can be found at www.readfortherecord.org.