On behalf of the Jumpstart family, we want to thank Comcast for supporting our Read for the Record campaign. For the first time, Comcast hosted Jumpstart's Read for the Record at its headquarters and gave local children from Philadelphia's Gesu School the unique opportunity to help set a new world reading record.
Jumpstart's Read for the Record, presented in partnership with the Pearson Foundation, is one day of the year when millions of individuals come together to celebrate literacy by breaking the world record for the largest shared reading experience. On October 4, 2012, Comcast employees joined adults and children across the country to read Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by David Soman and Jacky Davis in support of Jumpstart's mission: to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed.
It's unsettling that in low-income neighborhoods, children start kindergarten 60 percent behind their peers from affluent communities, leaving them woefully unprepared when it's time to start school. When children start school behind, they are more likely to stay behind for the rest of their lives and this gap only widens over time. Programs like Jumpstart's Read for the Record help raise awareness about the importance of providing high-quality early education to all children to help them reach their greatest potential.
With the generous support from sponsors like Comcast, we're able to shine a national spotlight on the early education crisis and reach more children in low-income neighborhoods, helping them to develop the language and literacy skills needed to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. We appreciate Comcast's efforts to join the national movement to jumpstart a child's future and look forward to celebrating again next year!
For more information on Jumpstarts Read for the Record, please visit www.jstart.org/readfortherecord.