The #ReadtoME Challenge is Here!

In its 8th consecutive year, the Maine Department of Education is sponsoring the Read to ME Challenge. The challenge is a month-long public awareness campaign held during February across the state of Maine, and you’re invited to participate!

How to Participate in 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. Challenge others to read aloud 15 minutes to a child or children they know.
• Recommended social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Don’t forget to use Twitter tag at @mdoenews and/or a Facebook tag @MaineDepartmentofEducation1!
• If you live far away from a child you’d like to read to, use Zoom or Facetime to read aloud via digital means.
• If you are unable to complete the challenge you may want to 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.
  • Singing to or having a conversation with a child (these methods build language, too).
  • Visiting the Read Across America site for additional resources and ideas.

If you have a school or community organization that plans to participate, please let us know by signing up at this link.

The Read to ME Challenge will run for the month of February, leading up to Read Across America Day on March 2, 2023. Learn more about the Read to ME Challenge on the Maine DOE Website and be looking for more details about the kick-off soon. We’ll update this post with all the details as soon as they’re available!

For more information, contact Danielle Saucier, Elementary Literacy Specialist for the Maine Department of Education.!