LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Children and adults alike will pick up books this week to celebrate Read Across America.
Dozens of special guests visited the Trinity United Methodist Church Center for Creative Child Care to kick off a week dedicated to reading. Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith, Lima City Schools Superintendent Andre Rudolph, Lima Senior High School Principal Darnell Collins, and members of the Lima Senior High School basketball and football teams spent time reading and interacting with preschool students.
Center administrators said visits from community leaders and student-athletes help reinforce the importance of literacy at an early age. Deidra Lambert, assistant director of the center, said building strong reading skills early is critical for long-term success.
“It's all about reading. The importance of reading on the difference it makes in our children, and especially after they leave us the importance of reading, because if they can't read, everything else is going to slack behind. They're not going to be able to do their math and all those things. So reading is extremely important.”
Rudolph said the involvement of high school athletes also sends a powerful message about responsibility and leadership.
“When you see things like the basketball team and the football team going around, it shows them a greater responsibility. It reminds them of the responsibility that they have to always perform at a high level, because you never know who's watching. And they were raised right? They were raised well, and so it's great to see those values embodied come alive and show the younger generation. So it's perfect.”
Read Across America is a nationwide initiative designed to promote the power of books and encourage children to develop a lifelong love of reading.
