Jim Trelease - The Read Aloud Phenomenon

The Read Aloud Phenomenon

The first Penguin edition of The Read-Aloud Handbook led to five additional U.S. editions, as well as British, Australian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese versions. Nearly two million copies of the Handbook have been sold world-wide, and it was the inspiration for PBS's "Storytime" series. It is also used as a text for future teachers, and is the basis for more than 3,000 elementary and secondary schools adopting sustained silent reading as a regular part of the academic day. The Handbook was a pivotal force between 1979 and 2008 for read-aloud movements in the United States and abroad. Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Nebraska, Hawaii, and one European country (Poland) launched state- and country-wide campaigns based on Trelease's work and seminars. Poland launched its national campaign, "All of Poland Reads to Kids," in 2001, and by 2007 the polls showed that over 85 percent of Polish people knew of the reading campaign and 37 percent of parents of preschoolers reported that they were reading daily to their children. More information on "All of Poland Reads to Kids" can be found at the foundation's website: http://www.allofpolandreadstokids.org/home