Read Across America

On March 2, 1904, Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. We know him as Dr. Seuss, the author of many beloved books such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who, and my own personal favorite, There’s a Wocket in My Pocket. If you’re not familiar with There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, it’s full of silly rhymes (“a nureau in my bureau,” “a zable on the table,” “a bofa on the sofa”--how fun to say!) and classic Seussical illustrations. Dr. Seuss’s fantastic body of work has long been used to entice and teach children to read. A Wocket in My Pocket, in fact, was the very first book I ever read on my own.

In 1998, the National Education Association began a reading awareness program, Read Across America, which is celebrated on March 2 of each year. In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, children across the country engage a wide variety of reading events. Reading parades, read-a-thons, community reading activities and more, are pretty common in schools and homes all over the country on this day. The Seussville website includes a link to ideas for Read Across America day, as well as lots of other reading ideas, activities, and games.

I hope you and your students are able to take some extra time today to read together and celebrate Read Across America. Happy reading, everyone!