Hillsborough County schools releases extra Storytime episodes online

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County Public Schools teamed up with the Hillsborough Education Foundation, the Hillsborough Chamber, and Scholastic to bring some fun to storytime.

Dr. Stacy Hahn created the Storytime program a year ago. She wanted to bring a love of books to children, so she started recording herself reading children’s books and posting the videos online.

With the current ‘safer at home’ restrictions, it has become harder for kids to gain access to books, so they decided it was time to make some special edition episodes of Storytime. The Hillsborough County school district is asking local leaders to record themselves reading children’s books for the new episodes.

“If children are read to, they are more likely to develop stronger reading skills and a love for reading that continues for a lifetime,” said Hahn.

The program has had an incredible response, gaining 15,000 video views during the pandemic. Hahn says she is grateful for all the partnerships that have made this happen.

“Just to know that maybe Storytime online had just a small impact on increasing those numbers and encouraging our students to read, it really is humbling and it makes me feel proud,” she said.

Many families can get access to thousands of books at myon.com. The Storytime videos are available on the HCPS’ Youtube Channel and the HEF Youtube channel.

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