Rachel and I are committed to reading. One of our greatest joys as parents is reading to our sons, and listening to them read on their own. At bedtime, our children choose a book for us to read. We read the book to them, and then they take turns reading the book to us. Reading is one of the ways we can spend quality time with our children. Now we’re working to share our family’s love of reading with students all across South Carolina.

In South Carolina, we want to ensure every child is able to read independently by the third grade. In 1999, we established the Governor’s Institute of Reading, and that December we held a statewide reading summit to examine the best practices in reading and share these teaching methods with teachers and parents all over South Carolina. During the 2000 – 2001 academic year, the Institute of Reading will allocate $50,000 grants to 30 school districts for implementation of reading initiatives.

In partnership with the Governor’s Institute of Reading, my Focus on Reading initiative is designed to introduce students to quality literature, promote parental and community involvement in education, and spark a love of reading throughout the state. This initiative is comprised of several smaller programs, each tailored to reach a specific age-group but all connected in their goal of connecting all students with books. The programs include:

Story Time with Governor Hodges (Elementary Grades)

Reading Honor Roll (All Grades) 

Middle School Reading Challenge (Middle School Grades) 

"Reading with Rachel" (Elementary Grades)