225BatonRouge.com - Blogs

You may think of Starbucks as an evil, money-grubbing super corporation pushing grande non-fat caramel macchiatos onto the American consumer by taking over one storefront at a time. But I happen to embrace the $4 cups of coffee and happen to really like the color green.

Highland Coffees is my true love, but I live nowhere near LSU’s campus, nor is Chimes Street on my way to work, so Starbuck’s is an easy and quite tasty alternative. In fact, I actually met my husband at Starbucks. “Not the same Starbucks, but we saw each other at different Starbucks across the street from each other. And he got up the courage to walk across the street one day and … approached me.” Wait, sorry wrong story. I was channeling Best in Show.

Where was I? Oh, yes – how I love Starbucks. Let me count the ways. Well, my barista knows my name and what I order. It makes me feel like a superstar. Everyone is super nice and it’s always a lovely experience, unless I get behind a newbie who doesn’t know what to order or, even worse, a Starbucks zealot, ala Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, whose complex ordering of a tall half-caf/half-decaf, half-foam cappuccino with one Splenda is enough to make you want to kick something.

So what does this all have to do with reading, you may be asking yourself? I’m getting to that.

On Thursday, August 24, Starbucks is participating in the largest shared-reading experience ever, as part of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign. The campaign is designed to raise awareness about the crisis we face in early education, and urges parents to read to their children. It seems like a no-brainer—read to your children, but you would be surprised how many children lack that early experience. Research shows that while many children have the benefit of nearly 2,000 hours of reading with an adult by kindergarten, some are exposed to as few as 25 hours.

Can you imagine children growing up with only 25 hours of exposure to reading before they reach school age? It’s a shame. One of my fondest memories is curling up on my bed with my brother and sister while my mom read some of our favorite books, like Drummer Hoff by Barbara and Ed Emberley, The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff.

How can you help? It’s easy. On August 24 everyone is encouraged to read The Little Engine That Could. You can do this by reading to your own children, volunteering at the library, participating at any Starbucks store, or at one of the many organized events here in town. If you’re like me and don’t have any children you can purchase a limited edition of The Little Engine That Could at any Starbucks store while supplies last. Proceeds from book sales directly support Jumpstart’s work with at-risk children.

Registering your participation at Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Web site is also important. You can even purchase this literary classic for an at-risk child who may have very few books at home

There are a variety of ways for you to participate in this very important educational campaign. All you have to do is be proactive. Just say it to yourself—“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”