Get your questions answered!
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record® (RFTR) is an annual campaign that was launched over a decade ago to highlight the importance of building early literacy and language skills for EVERY child, so that all children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten prepared to succeed. Each year, millions of children and adults are brought together to read in classrooms, libraries, community centers, and homes across the world. Each year, Jumpstart selects one children’s book as the catalyst for Read for the Record.
Stay tuned for the date of the 15th annual Read for the Record, happening later this year!
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
You can order the book on our web store now!
The Omu of this book is an elderly woman who makes a fantastic pot of thick red stew. The scent from her stew travels all throughout her neighborhood and brings all of her community members over to her home for a taste. By the end, she shares a lovely feast with her neighbors where everyone contributes to the meal.
Since 2006, this 24-hour celebration has mobilized over 20,700,000 people!
Yes! In 2013, Jumpstart broke the world reading record by reading with 2,462,860 children and adults.
Children and adults worldwide can be a part of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record.
After reading, report the total number of children and adults you read with on the big day to help us tally our total as we try to beat our own record for most people reading the same book on the same day. Head over to the main Read for the Record page starting on November 7th to report your numbers.
When you pledge to read, you’ll receive campaign news and updates on all things Read for the Record. Plus, we’ll include the number of children and adults you anticipate to read with in our record-breaking total. Signing up is easy and only takes a few minutes!
Check back soon for resources to help you celebrate this year’s Read for the Record campaign!
We’re here to help! Email us at rftr@jstart.org.
Jumpstart is a national early education organization that is leveling the playing field so that all children are ready for kindergarten. We recruit volunteers and partner with preschools in under-resourced communities to help children develop the language and literacy skills they need to set them on a path for academic and lifelong success. Since 1993, Jumpstart has trained 50,000 college students and community volunteers to transform the lives of nearly 123,000 preschool children nationwide. Learn more about how Jumpstart works wonders with children here.