Education
Read Across America Day
Posted on 01/28/2021
Read Across America Day is quickly approaching on Tuesday, March 2. Read Across America Day, also known as Dr. Seuss Day, takes place annually to celebrate reading in the classroom. The celebration falls on the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, children’s author, illustrator, poet, animator, and filmmaker, credited with publishing over 60 beloved books for readers of all ages, including the ageless Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! This holiday was first launched by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 to encourage children across America to read more. The National Education Association is the largest labor union in the United States, working to provide students with exceptional education standards.
Read Across America’s mission is to promote the importance of reading and to motivate children to read. The holiday also focuses on celebrating diversity through reading by recommending books, authors, and resources that represent a broad array of cultures. One way State Theatre New Jersey participates in this holiday each year is by sending eager staff members to read to kids at local New Brunswick schools. Last year, staff visited the Lord Stirling Community School and Roosevelt Elementary School to celebrate Read Across America Day, and they had a blast.
While school celebrations are not currently in person due to the current pandemic, there are plenty of ways to safely celebrate and emphasize the importance of literacy with your child in your own home! Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas for virtual fun to creatively celebrate Read Across America Day.
Looking for a new read? Read Across America has got you covered. The Read Across America website provides a selection of monthly recommended books for elementary to teen readers. This month’s selection emphasizes family and history, featuring titles like Freedom Soup and It’s Trevor Noah: Stories From a South African Childhood.
Virtual book clubs are an amazing opportunity to increase your child’s reading comprehension. Invite some of your child’s friends or classmates to read a selected book aloud on a Zoom call. With Zoom, you can “screen share” an ebook, creating a great shared experience.
Another great way to celebrate is by reading a Dr. Seuss book. For example, try reading Green Eggs and Ham and making green eggs and ham as a fun activity for a young reader. (Provided you have some green food coloring in the house!) You can also have your child create their own poetry similar to the famous rhymes featured in Dr. Seuss’s books.
No matter how you choose to celebrate Read Across America Day this year, we hope this holiday provides readers of all ages with an appreciation for books and a joy of reading!
By Peri Hernandez
