We are officially three months away from Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® on October 19! To celebrate, here are three easy ways to get ready to read with us.

1. Register to Read and Buy the Book!

This year’s book is Quackers by Liz Wong. Quackers is a story about a kitten who thinks he is a duck — that is, until the day he meets another kitten. What unfolds is a lovely tale about acceptance, understanding, and learning it’s ok to be whoever you want to be. We have a feeling you’re going to love this story as much as we do! Register to read and pre-order your books here to be a part of this worldwide event. Reading with a large group? Email rftr@jstart.org for special rates on large book orders.

2. Plan your Reading Event

Whether you are reading at home or at a community-wide event, there are so many ways to get involved! Read for the Record emphasizes the connections that are made when adults and children read together and the lifelong love of reading that these shared experiences can instill in readers young and old. Carve out time at home for a special reading hour with friends and family, contact your child’s teacher to read in his or her class, or involve your child’s whole school in reading Quackers! If you want to bring Quackers to life for a larger audience, contact your local library or community center to put together a free event for everyone in your community to enjoy. Whichever Read for the Record experience you choose, we have tons of tips and tools to help you plan for October 19. Be sure to let us know how you’re celebrating on Facebook and Twitter (@jumpstartkids) and on Instagram (@jumpstartkids1) using the hashtags #ReadfortheRecord and #ReadConnectSucceed.

3. There’s More to Quack About

Stay tuned for activities, bookmarks, reading certificates, and more! We’re hard at work creating all of the materials you might need to enjoy Quackers with the children in your life. Choose from materials for classrooms, large group events, and for reading together as a family — there’s something for everyone! We will be adding these to the website in August, so keep your eyes peeled as you begin to plan your Read for the Record day!

How does Read for the Record connect to Jumpstart?

Jumpstart is an early education nonprofit organization fueled by the core belief that providing high-quality early learning opportunities to all children contributes to breaking the cycle of poverty. We provide language, literacy, and social-emotional programming for preschool children from under-resourced communities by recruiting and training college students and community members to serve in classrooms where the need is the highest. Our volunteers help prepare children for kindergarten, and set them on a path for lifelong success. Jumpstart’s annual Read for the Record campaign highlights the importance of high-quality early learning for all children. Read for the Record brings together over 2 million people each year to read the same book on the same day, and emphasizes the connections made when children and adults read together.

Read. Connect. Succeed.

Read. Sign up to #ReadfortheRecord with us on October 19, 2017, to help shine a light on the importance of closing the kindergarten readiness gap by building early language and literacy skills for EVERY child.

Connect. Reading aloud with young children — whether in the classroom, at home, or in the community — builds language and literacy skills and provides positive reading experiences that instill a love of reading.

Succeed. Children with strong language and literacy skills are more likely to succeed in kindergarten, and a love of reading can foster a love of learning that will benefit children for years to come.