PARK SLOPE — Early on March 14, second graders at St. Saviour Catholic Academy in Park Slope listened intently as a guest read them a story about a saint and his loveable dog, but it wasn’t just the story that captured their attention.
It was the reader — Bishop Robert Brennan.
Bishop Brennan was at the academy to read “St. John Bosco and His Big Gray Dog,” by Hayley Medeiros, to 20 children from two classes who came together to hear the story of how the saint’s pet pooch protected him from harm.
St. John Bosco (1815-1888), a priest in Turin, Italy, dedicated his life to helping young people and founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales, a religious order of priests.
Bishop Brennan’s visit was part of the Seventh Annual Great Diocesan Read Aloud, a weeklong event featuring children’s book authors and other literature fans reading to students in an effort to foster a love of reading.
In addition to Bishop Brennan, dozens of authors and volunteers agreed to read to children in schools all over the Diocese of Brooklyn, either in person or via livestream. The event is sponsored by Catholic Telemedia Network (CTN), an educational service of DeSales Media Group, which is also the ministry that produces The Tablet and Currents News.
Bishop Brennan said he had a great time.
“I enjoyed reading to the children an awful lot,” he said. “It’s always good to have that interaction with the young ones, and they’re always so interested and enthusiastic.”
Before reading “Saint John Bosco and His Big Gray Dog,” Bishop Brennan engaged in a question and answer session with the second graders, who asked him things like “How did you get to be bishop?” and “What do you like best about your job?”
The Great Diocesan Read Aloud gave students the opportunity to get to know some of their favorite authors. Over at Notre Dame Catholic Academy in Ridgewood, children’s book author Laura James read aloud via livestream to students.
“Laura James was so sweet,” teacher Virginia Moreno said. “She got them excited to read more books.”
While it’s a fun event, the read-aloud has a serious purpose, said Gina Krainchich, director of Educational Media Services for DeSales Media Group.
“Reading aloud to students is still an effective way to increase literacy,” Krainchich explained. “Our goal is to get kids excited to read more and maybe spark an interest in becoming an author or illustrator.”
According to a 2019 study from Ohio State University, children whose parents read aloud to them enter kindergarten with an advantage because they have heard approximately 1.4 million more words than their peers.
Bishop Brennan emphasized that reading aloud to children should not only be an activity for school but should also be a part of their everyday lives.
“Being able to read to young people is a great gift to all of us,” he said.