“Property Brothers” Jonathan and Drew Scott read to kids at the last Let’s Read! Let’s Move! event of the summer. (Courtesy of Department of Education)
WASHINGTON – The last Let’s Read! Let’s Move! event of the summer closed this week with the hosts of HGTV’s “Property Brothers” teaching children about healthy living and the importance of education.
Twin brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott asked kids – all wearing yellow construction hats – what they would want in their dream houses. The children shouted answers that ranged from swimming pools to video games.
Dream homes aside, the Scott brothers might seem like an odd choice to advocate healthy living and reading to little kids because children probably aren’t watching HGTV, a cable channel that highlights the buying, selling and renovating of homes.
The U.S. Department of Education enlisted Michelle Kwan and Jeremy Lin for past events – famous athletes who embody an active lifestyle and who children would be excited about or would know.
“Other notable personalities may have expressed an interest in working with children and families and may come to us directly seeking to lend their support,” a Department of Education official said. “Leaders on both sides of the political aisle and celebrities recognize the importance of education in contributing to positive outcomes for our nation’s economy and security.”
Some progress is being made on the reading side. From 1992 to 2011, male 4th-graders’ average reading scores increased five points to 218, and female 4th-graders’ scores jumped from 221 to 225, the National Assessment of Education Progress reports. The scale ranges from 0-500.
Child obesity rates, on the other hand, tripled over the past 30 years. One in three children in the U.S. is overweight or obese, according to Let’s Move. The Let’s Read! Let’s Move! annual summer events hope that children won’t forget about reading and will make playing outside a priority instead of sitting in front of video games inside.
“A part of our mission is to promote student achievement through a healthy start to a high quality education,” the Education department aide said. “Our Let’s Read, Let’s Move events accomplish both.”
The Let’s Read! Let’s Move! event series promotes Michelle Obama’s healthy eating- and active lifestyle- initiative, Let’s Move!
Earlier this summer, former Olympic skater Kwan read to the kids, played indoor basketball and raced with them during her appearance at an event in Washington. Lin only read to them and the Scott brothers on Tuesday read and sketched dream homes on an easel. Kwan was the only one to participate in both reading and moving.
The effect of these events remains to be seen, but as the “Washington Post’s” Reliable Source described it, “Less reading, more moving — but all good.”