STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City public schools across all five boroughs celebrated World Read Aloud Day with special events this week.

More than 5,400 volunteers from school leadership, staff, parent leaders, community members, and partner organizations joined Litworld in reading more than 4,200 books to over 37,000 students — marking more than 68,000 minutes of reading aloud.

“World Read Aloud Day is a powerful reminder that reading is not only a fundamental skill, but also a shared experience that builds confidence, curiosity, and connection,” said Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. “When adults read aloud to children, we help bring stories to life, strengthen language development, and foster a lifelong love of learning. Across New York City Public Schools, we are committed to creating joyful, literacy-rich environments where every student sees themselves reflected in their books and feels inspired to explore the world through reading.”

World Read Aloud Day was created in New York City by a little boy and Pam Allyn as they were reading aloud together. Now, it’s celebrate on the first Wednesday of every February — reaching millions of people, according to Litworld.

Allyn, Litworld founder, joined Samuels on Wednesday for a special read aloud event at PS 3 in Manhattan.

“It is only fitting that I read alongside the Chancellor on World Read Aloud Day, which was created right here in a New York City classroom by a third-grader who was so inspired by a read-aloud that he believed the entire world should experience its power,” said Allyn. “New York City Public Schools’ unparalleled commitment to literacy, grounded in research and best practices, continues to demonstrate what is possible when we believe in the power of stories to change children’s lives.”

Here are the Staten Island public schools that celebrated World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday:

PS 23, RichmondPS 29, Castleton CornersPS 52, Dongan HillsPS 56, RossvillePS 58, New SpringvillePS 74, Brighton HeightsBarnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24), Great KillsPaulo Intermediate School (I.S. 75), Huguenot

At PS 29, Staten Island District 31 Superintendent Dr. Roderick Palton and Acting Deputy Chancellor for Operations Kevin Moran read aloud to students. I.S. 75 students also visited PS 56 to read stories aloud to their younger peers.

The city also provide resources online for families to support their children in developing key literacy skills. Those resources can be found at schools.nyc.gov/literacy.

These resources include:

Suggestions for whole family activities, such as organizing family storytelling nights, hosting a family poetry recital, or visiting the library together    Printable flash cards to help practice vowels, consonants, multisyllabic words, and more  Reading Discussion Bingo to help families discuss the books they are reading at home  Recommended reading lists from the Citywide Digital Library  Reading 101: A Guide for Parents