You’ve Been Challenged to #ReadtoME

The Read to ME Challenge is a month-long public awareness campaign to promote childhood literacy in Maine held annually during the month of February.

What is the Read to ME Challenge?

The Read to ME Challenge is an opportunity to contribute to a child’s literacy growth by reading aloud to one or more children for at least 15 minutes. The steps for taking the challenge are listed below and you can access resources to promote the challenge through the links on the left hand side of this page.  You can also read about how the challenge is spreading across Maine by visiting the Read to ME Challenge articles.

Steps for Taking the Read to ME Challenge

• Read to and/or have a child/children read to you for at least 15 minutes.
• Read an engaging book, chapter of a novel, newspaper or magazine article, comics, nursery rhymes or poetry.
• Capture a photograph or short video (15-30 seconds) of yourself reading to the child.
• Use #ReadtoME or #ReadaloudME to post the photo or video on social media with your challenge to others to read aloud 15 minutes to a child or children they know.
• Recommended social media platforms include: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Youtube.
• If you live a distance from a child you’d like to read to, use Skype or Facetime to read aloud via digital means.
• If you are unable to complete the challenge within 48 hours, consider:
  • Donating a book to a school or public library, a food cupboard, a homeless shelter or a little free library near where you live.
  • Volunteering your time at a library.
  • Singing to or having a conversation with a child (these methods build language, too).