Nearly 500 Johnston County Children Take Part In Summer Reading Events

JOHNSTON COUNTY – Nearly 500 children participated in summer reading events held across Johnston County as part of an effort to keep young students reading while school is out.

Read to Grow Johnston County hosted 19 “Paws for Reading” events during National Summer Learning Week, marking the sixth consecutive year for the program.

Events were held in communities across the county, from Benson and Kenly to Clayton and Princeton.

A total of 477 children participated. Each child received a stuffed reading pal and a new book and was encouraged to read to their new companion for at least 20 minutes each day during the summer.

Children also heard stories read by local community leaders, including Johnston County Commissioner Butch Lawter, Smithfield Mayor Andy Moore and Johnston County Register of Deeds Craig Olive.

Organizers also provided parents with information on ways to encourage reading at home, including establishing a daily reading routine, visiting local libraries and reading together as a family.

The events were held in conjunction with National Summer Learning Week, which promotes continued educational activities during summer vacation.

Read to Grow members say the summer months can be particularly important for children who are reading below grade level, providing an opportunity to maintain — and potentially improve — reading skills before returning to school.

The Paws for Reading events were held with assistance from public libraries, churches, businesses, senior centers, summer camps and volunteers.

Read to Grow Johnston County is a collaborative effort involving community organizations, businesses, families, Johnston County Public Schools, the Partnership for Children of Johnston County, Boys and Girls Club and members of the faith community.

The organization focuses on school readiness, chronic absenteeism and learning outside the classroom as part of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.