First Lady Launches Read With ME. 2009
May 14, 2009
PORTLAND – First Lady Karen M. Baldacci today read to kindergarten students at the Reiche School to kick-off the 10th year of Read With ME. The statewide program of Maine Reads is aimed at improving literacy and reading skills among Maine’s students. Read With ME. is made possible by FairPoint Communications.
“It’s exciting to be celebrating 10 years of Read With ME. and we greatly appreciate the ongoing support of FairPoint Communications,” said the First Lady. “This year we honor Maine artist and writer Holly Meade, whose colorful illustrations and sweet study of sleep and the animal world should appeal to many children.”
This year’s featured book, A Place to Sleep, was written and illustrated by Holly Meade, a resident of Sedgwick. Meade joined the First Lady at the school today. Her book will be distributed to Maine’s more than 18,500 kindergartners in the fall as part of the literacy outreach program.
Through Read With ME., every kindergartner in the State has the opportunity to receive a book bag. Each year the featured book for distribution is selected by a committee of educators, parents, teachers, librarians, literacy professionals and authors.
A Place to Sleep has been specially designed and reissued for Read With ME. to include activities for young readers. Each book bag also includes literacy information and a bookmark developed by the Maine Department of Education and illustrated by Meade.
School libraries will be provided with DVDs produced by FairPoint Communications in collaboration with Maine Public Broadcasting and the Maine State Library. These DVDs offer tips about reading aloud. In addition, for the first time, a clip of the First Lady reading from the book with the words captioned at the bottom will be put on the Web site of Maine Reads (www.mainereads.org) so that children may read along with the First Lady. This online addition is part of the FairPoint Communications Digital Enrichment program.
This month, principals in each school in Maine that has kindergarten students will receive a letter inviting them to take part in the program. Each participating school will receive the books and literacy information as school opens in September. Packing and delivery of program materials to the schools will be handled by the Maine National Guard and a 100-person volunteer corps. Last year, Read With ME. reached 18,500 students across the state.
FairPoint Communications has awarded Read with ME. a $75,000 grant to help underwrite the program and provide all of the books and information at no cost to the schools and students. Maine Reads is one of the local community programs supported by FairPoint. For more information visit www.mainereads.org
