Read for the Record may reach 2.5 million today

Today, October 7, adults and children across the country are taking part in Jumpstart's Read for the Record, a nationwide campaign to set a new world record for the largest shared reading experience on a single day. Starting this morning at the TODAY Show in New York City, and continuing in schools, community centers, libraries, colleges, and homes, and--for the first time ever--available online at www.wegivebooks.org, this one-day celebration brings together adults and children to showcase the role reading plays in a young child's life.

Presented in partnership with the Pearson Foundation, Jumpstart's Read for the Record encourages record-breakers to spread the word that reading with a child before he or she enters kindergarten can improve his or her chances of graduating from high school by as much as 30%. Today, more than 2.5 million children are expected to take part by reading The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

As in past years, NBC's TODAY Show hosts Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira are launching the nationwide effort, together with celebrity readers. Read more at the Jumpstart website.