Governor Ayotte Celebrates Read Across America Week with Strafford School Students

CONCORD, NH - Today, Governor Kelly Ayotte celebrated Read Across America Week by joining Strafford School students to read Dr. Seuss' "Oh the Places You'll Go" and share the importance of reading as a life-long skill.

Over the past several years, New Hampshire has been focused on implementing teaching methods that are proven to work and making sure teachers have ongoing training opportunities to help their students develop critical reading skills. During her State of the State address last month, the Governor highlighted the need to ensure students across New Hampshire are reading at grade-level, announcing that Commissioner Caitlin Davis and the Department of Education would undertake a new initiative to collect best practices from top-performing schools and develop a plan to implement them statewide.

"I was glad to join Strafford School students this morning to celebrate National Read Across America Week," said Governor Ayotte. "New Hampshire has some of the best schools in the country, but we're going to keep pushing to be better and helping students of all ages master this foundational skill. That's why I've directed Commissioner Davis and the Department of Education to gather best practices from our highest-performing schools and learn from other states' successes, so we can strengthen reading outcomes and set Granite State students up for a lifetime of success."

About National Read Across America Week:

Launched in 1998, National Read Across America Week celebrates reading as the foundation of learning and encourages educators, parents, students,and readers of all ages to read new books or return to their old favorites. Coinciding with the birthday of Dr. Seuss, who attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., the initiative aims to build strong literacy skills and foster a life-long love of reading.