Hundreds of books will be given away to children on Sunday, helping to foster a love of reading that hopefully will last a lifetime.
The Northeast Community College’s Lifelong Learning Center will be hosting the annual Children’s Day Festival, which was moved from the Sunset Plaza in 2024. Read Aloud Norfolk sponsors the festival each year.
The theme is “For the Love of Reading,” so naturally it is scheduled for a Sunday near Valentine's Day. Families are invited to come to the Lifelong Learning Center on February 8 from 1 to 3 p.m.
The Children's Day Festival is a free event that brings energy and activity and the love of reading to everyone involved: families, children, participating organizations, Northeast students and the community.
Area service organizations and family providers have games for children where they can earn a ticket for each game. Once the children have earned 10 tickets, they can redeem them for a free book at the Read Aloud Norfolk tables.
The Lifelong Learning Center provides a great location for the event, with plenty of parking, wide hallways and open space. Children have room to play and enjoy the games.
Northeast Education Club and Early Childhood Education Club students help.
Mary O'Boyle, Education instructor, has students help organize books and help children who need a little guidance choosing their book. Lisa Guenther, Early Childhood education instructor, has students greet families and direct them to the games and book tables.
O’Boyle said the Student Education Association looks forward to the festival each year.
“It is such a wonderful opportunity to visit with parents and children as they select free books to take home with them. My students have been working the book table at the festival for at least 24 years. We wouldn’t miss it,” O’Boyle said.
Guenther said Read Aloud Norfolk has provided nearly 700,000 free books to families since 2000, the year it began. This nonprofit, local organization uses all donated funds to put books in the hands of children, with only a few of the donated dollars used for postage and handling of books.
Guenther teaches her students and shares every opportunity she can about the importance of reading.
"Research shows reading aloud daily to a child is the number one thing to do to prepare that child for school and thus life,” Guenther said. “Reading aloud to a child grows their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking. Reading aloud to children can change our society for the better one book at a time."
Her students help at the Children's Day festival and other read aloud events in Norfolk any opportunity they can.
"Modeling reading aloud books for students and sharing the love of reading is so important in the childcare profession for our students. Our students need to be in the habit of sharing books with children and families just like families need to be in the habit of reading daily to their children. Our students learn to enjoy sharing books and reading aloud to children along with the children they read to.”
On Thursday, February 26, Early Childhood Education students have a pajama party read aloud for families from 7 to 7:30 p.m. at the college in Union 73. All families are invited.
“Children can wear their pajamas and come for a bedtime story, bedtime snacks and other surprises,” Guenther said.
Children’s Day Festival
Hundreds of books will be given away at the Northeast Community College Lifelong Learning Center on Sunday, February 8, from 1 to 3 p.m. as Northeast hosts the annual Children’s Day Festival. The happy faces of children going home with their books to read and enjoy is the reason so many organizations get involved each year. (Northeast Community College)
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