GALLERY: Local schools celebrate Read Across America
Published 9:15 am Wednesday, March 9, 2022
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March 2 was National Read Across America Day, a day to celebrate our favorite activity.
The National Education Association (NEA) first established the day in 1998 to help get kids excited about reading. The day occurs each year on the birthday of beloved children’s book author Dr. Seuss, so a perfect way to celebrate is to don a Seussian hat and read one of his famous books.
Students, teachers, parents, and community members around the nation come together on National Read Across America Day to read books and celebrate the joy of reading. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go,” Dr. Seuss said.
Reading stories and antics about his wonderful characters is a rite of passage and serves as the perfect way to get children interested in reading books.
Read Across America Day is more so a reading program, which calls upon everyone to read and engage with children to make reading a more fun and interactive experience. From the time when the building blocks of our character are laid to adulthood when we seek to escape from the humdrum of daily life in the pages of a book, reading plays an integral role in shaping us into who we are. With the advent of smartphones and tablets, it is more essential than ever to motivate children to read.
The NEA’s primary purpose is to work for the betterment of public education.
“Reading has been promoted across the nation with events organized in libraries, schools, book clubs, and communities. Parents, teachers, students, and members of society all come together to celebrate the joys of reading and to encourage it to become a habit for children. This way, more attention and attendance is drawn to the event,” stated a statement from the NEA.
Reading parties are hosted at homes, schools, and libraries. Local persons of interest or celebrities are sometimes present at these events. Alongside reading, tasty treats are served, mostly from books that are going to be read out on the day (like a variation of green eggs and ham). Book clubs are also started on this day to continue the reading tradition after the day is over. It is a great way for parents and children to socialize and share ideas and their favorite books.