October 23-29, 2022: Read Aloud to a Child Week

WHEREAS, Read Aloud to a Child Week is a national, annual event that emphasizes the importance of reading aloud to children to encourage families to participate in reading together; and,

WHEREAS, the practice of reading aloud is an enjoyable way for adults to expose children to the world of language and model the skill of reading; and,

WHEREAS, reading aloud represents an opportunity to share ideas, values, and traditions, while sharpening the imagination and creating healthy dialogue; and,

WHEREAS, if children hear words for five minutes daily, that becomes 350,000 words in a year, and children who learn to listen eventually learn to read; and,

WHEREAS, young children can be read to at any age, even as infants, and will internalize the sounds of words as long as the duration of reading coincides with a child’s natural attention span; and,

WHEREAS, the theme of Read Aloud to a Child Week 2022 is “Off on an Adventure!” encouraging children to explore their world; and,

WHEREAS, Read Aloud to a Child Week is an opportunity to promote early learning and reading skills with a mission to create a culture of literacy in every home;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim October 23-29, 2022, as Read Aloud to a Child Week in Michigan.