HOULTON, Maine — In an effort to promote literacy in the community, the Houlton Rotary Club is partnering with the Cary Library and Houlton Higher Education Center to offer a series of initiatives in February.
According to Otis Smith, a member of the Rotary Literacy Committee, the event is geared to both young and old alike in order to promote good reading habits.
“This is a statewide initiative to encourage reading during the month of February,” Smith said Friday. “The governor’s wife, Ann LePage, will kick the event off by reading to school children downstate.”
Locally, a Read-to-Me event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 2-4 p.m. as part of the Moosestompers winter carnival in Houlton. Free hot chocolate will be offered, as well as free books to the first 25 children who participate.
Other reading events include Saturday, Feb. 10, from 10-11 a.m. at the Houlton Higher Education Center and Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Cary Library.
On Monday, Feb. 12, LePage, a Read to ME Challenge spokesperson, will be in The County to read to students at Houlton Elementary School at 10 a.m. She will also attend the Houlton Rotary Club’s regular meeting at noon.
“The Rotary Literacy Committee has been actively advancing literacy in the community for three years, reading with children in the schools, assisting the Cary Library and the Houlton Higher Education Center in literacy outreach,” Smith explained.
At Southern Aroostook Community School in Dyer Brook, the challenge will be kicked off on Friday, Feb. 2, when Anthony White of the Oakfield Fire Department will read to kindergarten students. He has also challenged the Island Falls Fire Department to read to children.
As part of the upcoming statewide Read to ME Challenge in February, people of all ages will be given the opportunity to read with someone and post it online.
The official “Read to Me” challenge involves several steps, according to Lee Anne Larsen, literacy specialist for the Maine Department of Education. Those steps include:
– Reading to and/or have a child/children read to you for at least 15 minutes.
– Read an engaging book, chapter of a novel, newspaper or magazine article, comics, nursery rhymes or poetry.
– Capture a photograph or short video (15-30 seconds) of yourself reading to the child.
– Use #ReadtoME or #ReadaloudME to post the photo or video on social media with your challenge to others to read aloud 15 minutes to a child or children they know. Recommended social media platforms include: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Youtube.
Those who wish may also donate a book to a school or public library, a food cupboard or homeless shelter.
For more information, visit http://www.maine.gov/doe/readtome/.
