Children in classrooms across Berrien and Cass counties will have their regularly scheduled lessons shaken up a bit next month, when volunteers from across the region assemble to deliver a lecture of their own to students.

But it’s a lecture that includes giant dragons, pretty princesses and whatever else is contained within one of thousand of storybooks lining local bookshelves.

The United Way of Southwest Michigan will hold its annual Reading Day of Action on March 17, with over 100 volunteers visiting pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade classes from 9 a.m. to noon and noon to 3 p.m. The volunteers, working either in groups of two or by themselves, will stop by each participating classroom for 15 minutes, reading a number of books to students.

“The volunteers can choose their own books to read, so if they have a story near and dear to their heart they can decide to share that book with the students,” said organizer Teri Cooper, with the United Way.

Classrooms are asked to have five or six books on hand as well in case the volunteer stopping by didn’t bring any with them.

The event was started in 2011 as a way to promote literacy to area students, Cooper said.

“Reading Awareness Month takes place every March,” Cooper said. “This is a way to bring awareness of the importance of early childhood literacy to the region.”

Last year, over 100 volunteers visited 319 classrooms across the two counties, reaching around 9,500 kids in the process. Volunteers have until Feb. 27 to sign up for the event.

“The kids love it, and the volunteers love it because they get to see the smiles on the kids’ faces,” Cooper said.

Schools and classrooms have until Feb. 20 to sign up and specify the time range they would like volunteers to visit.

Among the schools that have singed up for the event this year include Ballard and Howard/Ellis elementary schools, Eastside Connections School in Niles; Tri County Head Start in Brandywine; Moccasin Elementary in Buchanan; Sam Adams Elementary School and Tri County Head Start in Cassopolis; and Tri County Head Start in Dowagiac.

Visit www.uwsm.org/read to sign-up and to receive more information. For questions, please contact Teri Cooper at teri.cooper@uwsm.org or via phone at (269) 982-1700, ext. 22.