Earlier this year, we kicked off another amazing #WorldReadAloudDay celebration on February 7th, 2024! Millions of readers, writers, and listeners worldwide came together to share the joy and power of reading and storytelling.
Celebrating our first ever WRAD-a-thon!
This past World Read Aloud Day, we teamed up with Scholastic and Storyvoice to launch our first ever all-day WRAD-a-thon—and thanks to hundreds of thousands of listeners like you tuning in from around the globe, it was our biggest World Read Aloud Day event yet. Check out some of these awe-inspiring stats from the big day!
World Read Aloud Day around the globe!
Earlier this February, millions of readers, writers, and storytellers raised their voices for the 14th annual World Read Aloud Day® (WRAD), making this year's celebration one of our biggest yet.
In our WRAD-a-thon alone, over 19 different Scholastic authors and guest readers streamed live on Storyvoice from nine different countries, reaching more than 400,000 readers and 12,000 classrooms!
Stay tuned as we share even more incredible stats and celebrations from the big day, and check out a few highlights from LitWorld's program partners and more organizations from around the globe below!
In Uganda, Art of a Child hosted an incredible World Read Aloud Day celebration for their community with games, reading crowns, and—of course—plenty of read-alouds!
In Pakistan, over 330 people participated as Seeds of Hope Foundation celebrated World Read Aloud Day in the Burj community. The day included games, arts and crafts, a special read-aloud, a parade, and a delicious dinner of chicken biryani.
In Indonesia, World Read Aloud Day events were held far and wide at schools, libraries, and more! Our thanks to @ndoropapih for sharing, and to @readaloudindonesia and all the hard-working volunteers for making these celebrations possible.
In the Philippines, Project PEARLS teamed up with the National Library of the Philippines to host an all-out World Read Aloud Celebration for communities in Tondo and Bulacan including reading crowns, read-alouds, and a parade!
The Impact of World Read Aloud Day
WORLD READ ALOUD DAY
Why are read-alouds such an essential part of LitWorld's work? The answer is simple: Reading aloud is one of the most powerful tools for change that we have. When we read aloud with others, we are not just strengthening our literacy skills and bringing communities together. We are also creating a culture of confident, engaged learners who know the power of their own voice.
That's why, on the first Wednesday of every February, LitWorld spearheads
World Read Aloud Day celebrations around the globe. Founded by LitWorld in 2010, World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) honors the transformational power of reading aloud and the importance of literacy as a foundational human right.
Now approaching its 13th year, read below to learn about the fascinating history of World Read Aloud Day—and how it is helping expand the definition and scope of global literacy.
THE HISTORY OF WRAD
As with most things LitWorld, the idea for LitWorld’s signature annual advocacy day came from a child. After a special read-aloud with his class, a student asked, “Why don’t we create a birthday party for the read aloud?” And so we did!
On March 3, 2010, LitWorld launched the first-ever World Read Aloud Day with events across New York City, including a read-aloud at the Polo Grounds by award-winning author Kwame Alexander. The impact was felt worldwide, with advocates from India, Australia, Ghana, Kenya, Austria, Iraq and beyond all working to help share the celebration with their communities.
After the success of this first celebration, World Read Aloud Day quickly began to take the world by storm. From month-long celebrations by our partners at Museo Rayo in Roldanillo, Colombia to Nal'ibali's monumental annual campaign across South Africa, educators and children around the globe eagerly gathered together for the chance to read, listen and connect.
Today, World Read Aloud Day has become a celebration involving millions—and the movement only continues to grow. From celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Sarah Jessica Parker to students of all ages, World Read Aloud Day helps us all celebrate the unique impact of sharing stories—building a global movement for literacy, empathy, and joy.
*2021
Podcasts for World Read Aloud Day
Imagination is kids’ superpower, and what better time to celebrate it than during the annual World Read Aloud Day celebration, when their minds are filled with the wonder of stories?
This World Read Aloud Day, discover the magic of imagination and storytelling in all forms with The Story Seeds Podcast! Story Seeds brings kids from ages 6-13 together with their favorite authors, who help them grow their ideas into a story. In each episode, authors and kids collaborate to show the magic that happens when adults make time to deeply listen to young people.
There’s a whole season of Story Seeds for you to enjoy, featuring 10 well-known and diverse American children’s book authors such as Dan Gutman, Veera Hiranandani, Aram Kim, and Rajani LaRocca, along with 10 super creative and smart kids. There’s even an episode with Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature!
A fun starter episode for WRAD is Episode 9: Look Before You Eat, which features storytelling champion Bil Lepp and 12 year old Keshav from New York City collaborating to create a fun story that puts a delicious, chocolate-y spin on the classic Three Little Pigs folktale. Listen here at www.storyseedspodcast.com, and find bonus photos and fun facts about Bil and Keshav to share!
If that’s not enough to get you hooked, here are a few more reasons to listen to Story Seeds this World Read Aloud Day:
A catchy theme song that will get kids singing “I’m in control of my destiny.” Who doesn’t need an affirmation like that in 2021?
An immersive storytime segment that you can play in your classroom or home to inspire kids to start imagining and writing their own stories.
Host Betsy Bird weaves all sorts of fun facts and writing tips into each episode
The podcast comes with an activity book, Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity, which is available worldwide and includes writing, reading, and STEAM activities for each episode.
It provides an aural experience for young people’s ears that helps them spend time off screens while introducing them to new authors and the writing process.
It can inspire kids to dream up their own stories. A recent Kids Listen survey reported that 74% of young podcast listeners remain highly engaged with the material they listen to, either by telling others what they’ve learned, seeking out more information after listening, or requesting to do an activity inspired by the podcast.
You can listen wherever you are. In fact, podcasts require very little streaming bandwidth which allows for greater accessibility and easy listening on your mobile devices.
But what other fun storytime podcasts are there? We asked the producers of Story Seeds—Sandhya Nankani and Anjali Sakhrani—to put together a playlist to help you and your family get into the storytelling mood! They are big fans of popular podcasts like Julie’s Library, Circle Round, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, and Story Pirates that you may have already heard of. Here are some of their top picks of some other shows for you to discover!
For Little Ears, check out …
Based on the famed 500 Words BBC Radio 2 short story writing competition for kids, this podcast is made up of funny and heartwarming bedtime stories written by kids ages 6-13.
Recommended Episode: It’s Up To You How Far You’ll Go. If You Don’t Try, You’ll Never Know!
Narrated by the lyrical voice of storytellers Miss JoJo and Auntie Oni who take listeners on a magic jeep excursion to discover lands where animals talk and people lie. Each episode is under 10 minutes, features a folktale of the African and African American tradition, and comes with an activity guide.
Recommended Episode: The Rabbit and the Turtle
Host Dan Wendelin is a dad who used to imagine a new bedtime story for his children each night. Now, he shares the best of those stories with you and your family. These 10-15 minute tales for children 4-10, with a narrator whose voice is engaging and soothing with a once-upon-a-time charm.
Recommended Episode: Peggy the Ant
For Tween and Teen Listeners, Try…
Women’s history set to music and performed by musical theater performers. If you already know and love Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, you’ll love this one
. Recommended Episode: Episode 1, Dr. Mae Jamison
Unspookable is a family friendly look at the histories and mysteries behind your favorite scary stories, myths and urban legends.
Recommended Episode: Episode #19, Dragons
This American Life is a hallmark in public radio. Each episode is centered around a theme told in three stories, celebrating both the ordinary and extraordinary.
Recommended Episode: Act Two of The Magic Show
And, if you can’t get enough …
The Kids Listen Activity Podcast is THE tasting menu of kids podcasts. It was created by Kids Listen (an organization that advocates for high-quality audio content for kids) in response to lockdown and the millions of kids being homeschooled around the world. Each week you’ll discover a new show and get access to a paired activity which helps kids dive deeper into the featured episode.
World Read Aloud Day 2020 - Celebrations Around the World
World Read Aloud Day 2020 has come and gone, once again showcasing the power of literacy, community and, you guessed it, reading aloud! With February 5th behind us, the LitWorld team can reflect on this amazing advocacy day that reaches millions of people around the world each year, in over 170 countries! This time, we are focusing on this year’s celebrations from some of our amazing, on-the-ground partners, who always bring immense amounts of enthusiasm, innovation and community organization to this day!
Community read aloud in Uganda.
LitWorld’s long-time partner in Uganda, Art of a Child, celebrated during the week of February 5th with read-alouds, crown making and bringing the joy of the celebration to a variety of communities, reaching over 400 kids and adults! Having been founded in 2010, Art of a Child continues to spearhead literacy through art activities for boys and girls from some of the most vulnerable communities around Kampala. The organization consists of a deeply dedicated team of mentors, who travel to community centers, schools, and neighborhoods, often in a “matata” van, bringing books and art to kids that would not have a way of accessing it otherwise.
Grab a friend, grab a crown and READ!
Meanwhile, one of the newer LitWorld’s partnerships in Morocco, LEAD Morocco Academy, were also busy celebrating their first WRAD. The main event was organized at the local library, “a place that many people from the community have not visited before”, shared Partnership Coordinator Zahra Benfares. The academy staff and volunteers held read-alouds and fun activities for the children and adults during the entire day, while the library staff were busy educating everyone about the ease of accessing the books. Many people were surprised to learn that they can rent out books for free and pledged to keep coming back with their children.
Mentor reading aloud to a group of seniors in Roldanillo.
One organization that always goes above and beyond for World Read Aloud Day is LitWorld’s partner in Roldanillo, Colombia - Museo Rayo. What started out as a one-day celebration back in 2014, has grown to a “Read Aloud Month”, involving the entire community of Roldanillo. It all starts on February 5th, with a siren sounding off in the main square at 10 am, letting everyone know that “Read Aloud Month” has begun. One can see at least 5000 people reading aloud at the same time in different places throughout the city - in schools, in businesses, on playgrounds and public places. The children and mentors from the museum are charged with a special task - carrying suitcases full of books they go out into places in the community that don’t typically enjoy a read aloud - like a local retirement home. According to a local newspaper that featured Museo Rayo in an article about the celebrations, one thing is clear - Roldanillo is now known as “The Town That Reads”!
From Zambia to the Philippines to the United States - we are humbled by the sheer force of joy and powerful advocacy that comes from this day. LitWorld is always thankful to everyone who participates and helps us reach millions of children and people this year, reminding everyone how simple, yet powerful the Read Aloud can be. For more photos from the big day all around the world, scroll down below!
World Read Aloud Day Interview and Giveaway with Author Kathleen Burkinshaw
Kathleen Burkinshaw, author of The Last Cherry Blossom
World Read Aloud Day is a chance for book-lovers everywhere to celebrate, and authors are no exception.
Kathleen Burkinshaw, author of The Last Cherry Blossom and daughter of a Hiroshima survivor, takes a special joy in World Read Aloud Day. The Last Cherry Blossom, which details her mother’s experiences, is now a United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs Resource for Teachers and Students and was recently nominated for an NC School Library Media Association YA book award. Having presented her works throughout middle and high schools for the past 9 years, Kathleen shares with us some of what World Read Aloud Day means for her - as a mother, an author, and a book-lover - as well as an exciting giveaway ending February 21!
Sara’s favorite story from this book, ‘The Little Airplane’ had to be read to her every night.
“Just one more book, please.”
“That was my daughter’s beloved nightly mantra as a child. My husband and I enjoyed every moment reading to her. I loved how she would look at the pages in the book and pretend to be reading by explaining what the pictures portrayed. Although, she’d eventually have most of the words memorized because we had read the book to her so often! Once she could read, it was so touching when she insisted to read to us after we read a book to her. That memory still makes my heart swell.”
“Starting with kindergarten, I volunteered to read a book to my daughter’s class at least once a year. I thought it would be a fun way to also discuss our Japanese culture. I enjoyed finding various books for each grade level along with a craft. I still remember the first book I read to her class in kindergarten – HOW MY PARENTS LEARNED TO EAT by Ina R. Friedman/illustrated by Japanese American author/illustrator, Allen Say. I brought in wooden disposable chopsticks and taught her classmates how to use them by picking up Cheetos and fruit.”
The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw
“I think way back(well not too far back) to when my elementary teachers read a book related to the chapter we were studying in history. It truly made me think beyond just memorizing dates and names. The characters in those books breathed life into that time period for me. I think that’s one of the reasons I have always loved reading (and now writing) historical fiction.”
“So, as I wrote The Last Cherry Blossom (TLCB) and I visited a class to discuss my mother’s experience in Hiroshima, it was a no brainer that I’d read some of my draft chapters to them and ask for their feedback. Now that TLCB has been published and I read either my favorite scene or the most difficult scene, I can’t help but feel a special connection made between myself, the students, and my mom’s story.”
“Reading out loud brings the story to life in the listeners’ imagination, no matter what the age.”
“It’s such an amazing compliment to me as an author when I’m told that a teacher has read TLCB to their class. Reading a book aloud is a fun and lovely way to open a reader’s heart as well as their minds. That is why I’ve enjoyed participating in World Read Aloud Day (WRAD), since TLCB published.”
“For this last World Read Aloud Day I enjoyed the opportunities to read and virtually meet so many students and teachers! To continue my celebration, I am doing a special TLCB Rafflecopter Giveaway going ending February 21. Prize package includes what’s pictured here and some some surprise swag Good Luck!
Learn more about Kathleen Burkinshaw by visiting her site or reading her blog, and enter her giveaway by clicking here.