Players on a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team are once again doing their part to encourage literacy in their community.
The Saint John Sea Dogs kicked off their annual reading program at Princess Elizabeth Elementary Wednesday.
“They know the importance of reading, especially from K to 2, this is our foundation years for that age group and so it's really important that as a community the Sea Dogs thought it was important that we work together,” says Denise Long, community school coordinator.
The program partners a player with a student to help them with their reading and writing skills.
The players spent the morning reading to the students and encouraging them to also read on their own.
“We kinda wish we would've had something like this when we were younger,” says Matthew Highmore, Sea Dogs assistant captain.
Each student who reads at least three books will have a chance at winning game tickets.
“Grade 2s and 3s definitely knew the players,” says Long. “Having the players read to them, it's important for them to see that.”
Thirty two schools are involved in the program, with more than 4,000 students.
“It's in your everyday life, doesn't matter, from whenever you wake up in the morning to when you go to bed there's always reading to do,” says Highmore. “As a young person, I think that they probably see the importance of it already, but to reiterate it to them through this program is what we want to do.”
This is the third year for the program and those involved say they've seen it have a positive impact.
“If we see increasing results in the kids learning in reading it's really because everybody's working together, it's the teachers, it's the staff, it's the parents, it's programs like this that work together,” says Long.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Blackford
