Visual Story Time with a Service Member is an initiative by the
organization United Through Reading.
Jessica Hall, vice president of communications and a military
spouse, said participating schools have been provided with a
library of video recordings of service members reading an
entertaining and educational age-appropriate story to
participating classrooms.
“It could be anything from just a simple story time for our
youngest students to something different for the older kids and
incorporating it into a longer lesson. It just depends on what
the teacher is already doing in the classroom,” Hall said.
More than 700 classrooms across the country have signed up for
the program, including 44 in Illinois.
Hall said the program took off immediately and is growing.
“It was a great success,” Hall said. “We had over 500 teachers
sign up and this year we had over a thousand who requested a
video this year.”
Service members and veterans record a story at more than 400
United Through Reading recording locations worldwide, as well as
on their mobile devices with a reading app.
The event coincides with Veterans Day, which is Saturday, but
also National Family Literacy Month and Military Family Month.
Hall adds that since 1989, more than 3 million military family
members have benefited from United Through Reading’s programs
and services.
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