LaGRANGE — Georgia first lady Sandra Deal recently made a stop at Hillcrest Elementary School.

In support of her Read Across Georgia initiative, the wife of Gov. Nathan Deal read to both pre-K classes. The purpose of the initiative is to help children become proficient readers, starting at an early age. During her visit, she read from the popular “Pete the Cat” series.

As she opened up “Pete the Cat and the New Guy,” all 44 students prepared to listen intently because her broad hand gestures and animated expressions held the young students’ attention. While there, she engaged them in hand games and read a poem about education, “Learning to Read,” that was penned by Nathan Deal.

Before departing, she presented the school and pre-K teachers with a book titled “Who I’d like to Be,” which was donated by AT&T in support of the first lady’s reading proficient initiative.

“It takes parents, teachers and the community working together to lay the educational groundwork for academic success,” she said. “T.J.’s Discovery is a family adventure that engages children and serves as a teaching tool for parents and caregivers. My hope is that this book will help parents become more confident as they guide their children in the process of learning to read.”