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

1st graders listening to Seuss

I am re-blogging this from several years ago because March is National Reading Month and Tuesday, March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’s birthday.  My college isn’t putting this together anymore so it makes me a little sad to not be participating in this way but it is a fond memory of reading to kids in a school where I once taught.  We can all celebrate the day and month by encouraging young readers and ourselves to celebrate reading.

I love Read Across America for personal reasons.

I started my career in education as a first grade teacher.

I wanted to be a person who made sure that kids just starting out would like school and like to read. And since co-founding Advanced Reading Concepts in 1977, I love what I do with teens and adults for a similar reason. I help prepare them for additional  learning and to rekindle and have time for a love of reading again. I also help those who never liked to read become readers–so I am sort of starting them off as well.

Once a year I get to go back to my beginnings as a teacher.  I volunteer to read stories to grade school children through The Ohio State University’s Colleges of Education and Human Ecology and the College of Arts and Sciences’ participation in Read Across America.

Reading at Barrington Elementary

On Monday I read to a first grade class at Barrington Elementary School. It was great fun! My son and grandchildren went to Barrington, and the volunteers were teachers who had taught them! I read Dr. Seuss’s Great Day for Up and I Am Not Going to Get Up Today. A good choice I thought for a cold Monday morning.

On Tuesday I read to a kindergarten class and a second grade class. I had taught first grade at Prairie Norton shortly after graduating from OSU and loved it. Volunteering there brings back great memories. For Prairie Norton I chose When Papa Snores by Melinda Long (a favorite with my grandsons) and “Stand Back” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas, a favorite book to read when I taught first grade.

Read Across America is designed to motivate children to read because children who read do better in school. NEA’s Read Across America also provides NEA members, parents, caregivers, and children the resources and activities they need to keep reading on the calendar 365 days a year. In addition to the 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers who make up NEA membership, some 50 national organizations and associations give their support.

It might be too late to participate in this year’s annual event, but NEA’s Read Across America has resource materials which offer numerous opportunities for involvement in children’s reading throughout the year. According to their website, “The only thing you need to do is plan how, where, and when you will read to a child or teen in your life–everyday.” The Read Across America has a Fan page and Cause page on Facebook and also has the Read Across America Channel on Schooltube.com for videos. Remember: “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child.”

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Bonnie James