February 27, 2019 – AWE Learning Staff

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

Read Across America Day is coming up on March 2nd. Where did the idea of Read Across America come from and what is the meaning behind this holiday? A group of colleagues at the National Education Association (NEA) came up with a thought, if pep rallies are held to get children excited about football, how can we get children excited about reading? This led to the celebration we now refer to as Read Across America Day. The first Read Across America Day was March 2nd, 1998 and is now celebrated annually. This date was purposely selected, as it is Theodor Seuss Geisel’s (widely known as Dr. Seuss) birthday. Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist. His Dr. Seuss books are certainly a favorite amongst young learners. Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated more than 45 children’s books, which have been translated into more than 15 languages and have sold more than 200 million copies around the world.

Read Across America Day is acknowledged to motivate children to read and emphasize the importance of literacy in student achievement. By encouraging children at a young age, it helps to build lifelong successful readers. In fact, studies have illustrated that children who are motivated and spend more time with books reading have higher success in the classroom. While literacy is encouraged every day of the year, Read Across America Day is simply a day to increase the emphasis on the importance of literacy.

Read Across America Day is celebrated at public libraries, schools, and community centers across the country. How will you be celebrating? Below is a list of ideas and resources we’ve compiled to help you celebrate!

• Read your favorite Dr. Seuss book!
• Make green eggs and ham!
• Create a birthday card for Dr. Seuss.
• Illustrate your favorite Dr. Seuss book or scene on this printable.
• Dress as your favorite Dr. Seuss character
• Complete this writing prompt… “If Thing 1 and Thing 2 came to my house…”
• Write a different ending to one of your favorite Dr. Seuss books.
• Make your own Dr. Seuss hat.

Join our conversation on Facebook to share the Read Across America events and programs you are hosting. Building your literacy skills should be encouraged 365 days a year. Use these ideas throughout the year to build the reading skills of your young learners.

Print out these FREE bookmarks to bring Dr. Seuss with you through all your reading journeys. Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss, and Happy Read Across America Day!