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The fun and interactive storytelling session was part of Character Night, one of several events during Bel Pre’s annual ‘‘I Love to Read” week.

About 300 children and their parents came to pick up ‘‘passports” intended to lead students to different rooms where teachers were dressed like characters from popular children’s books. Once inside the rooms, teachers read the stories aloud. The reading also included questions and hands-on activities. There was even a bilingual story, in which students learned Spanish words like ‘‘fiesta,” ‘‘siesta” and ‘‘amigos.”

‘‘[Character night] is good because before this program, [my daughter] didn’t like reading,” said Olive Kizito, a Silver Spring resident, who brought her 6-year-old child, Megan Byekwaso, to the event.

The week’s events started March 2 with a 50th birthday party for Dr. Seuss’ ‘‘Cat in the Hat,” which included stories by the famous children’s author. The rest of the week included a school-wide assembly, during which Ronald McDonald read a book to the entire student body, children had to wear a shirt with words on it, and students would take 10-minute breaks throughout the day’s usual schedule to read their favorite book.

‘‘This week gives [students] a kind of a memory base ... to associate happy, fun memories with actually reading,” said Beverly Belin, reading specialist at Bel Pre, which serves kindergarten through second grade.

Parents said the week’s events had boosted the requests from their children to read at home.

Linda On, a Silver Spring mother of four, has already had three children attend Bel Pre and another one who will start in the fall. But on Character Night, all four of her children attended.

‘‘I love it,” On said. ‘‘The kids enjoy it. The [most fun] part is seeing the teachers dress up and act.”

On, who doesn’t remember her parents ever reading to her because they were immigrants and knew little English, said the program also helps children today who deal with similar situations. The children get to learn to love reading in English, she said.

All her children are avid readers, On said. Her fifth-grader, Anthony, said he likes coming back each year for the event.

‘‘I can see old teachers and my old principal,” he said. ‘‘I like reading because it has a lot of adventure. I read on school days until 1 a.m. sometimes.”

Teachers enjoy themselves as well. Stella Michael, a second-grade teacher at Bel Pre, said the program offers children a chance to hear many different stories and learn what they like and how they like it presented.

‘‘It’s very exciting getting kids excited about reading,” she said. ‘‘I think that having different things to spark interest in the different kids is important.”

Michael was dressed as one of the javelinas, a hairy animal related to pigs and hippopotami, and she read, ‘‘The Three Little Javelinas,” which describes the adventure of the three in the desert southwest.

Principal Carmen van Zutphen said she loves seeing so many children come to the school each year for the program.

‘‘It’s a testimony that everybody loves to read and it’s timeless,” van Zutphen said.