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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina's schools chief and the governor's husband are reading separately to students as part of a campaign highlighting the importance of early literacy and the need for high-quality preschool for poor children.

Michael Haley and Superintendent Mick Zais plan to read "Llama Llama Red Pajama" to elementary students Thursday in Columbia as part of Jumpstart's sixth-annual Read for the Record campaign, which seeks to set a world record for people reading the same book on the same day.

The nonprofit Pearson Foundation, which promotes literacy, is providing the book.

Organizers hope the event calls attention to the early education achievement gap. Jumpstart says millions of poor children are at risk of failure before they even start school.

Last year, more than 2 million children heard "The Snowy Day."

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)