In the infamous words of Dr. Seuss himself, “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.” Luckily, the dearly departed doctor, Theodor Seuss Geisel, still continues to celebrate his March 2 birthday with a nationwide reading program called, “Read Across America.”
Schools throughout the country participate in the program in any number of ways. From pajama reading parties, to all day “read-ins,” visits from Dr. Seuss’ beloved Cat in the Hat character and more. To illustrate the true “Read Across America” theme, Crim Elementary School in Bridgewater, New Jersey sent a note about their reading celebration, which started in February and continued through March 2. An author visit capped off one week and students read to therapy dogs another. The celebration culminated on Dr. Seuss’ birthday with a fun reading chain where the entire student body read simultaneously for an entire hour.
Here is Sonoma, Dunbar school invited parents and community members to participate in their Read Across America celebration. A widely circulated sign-up sheet allowed adult readers to choose a shift in the early afternoon and read to a class of students. Participants, including former school superintendent Rosemary Haver and a number of school board members, were asked to bring a favorite book or choose one from the school library.
Leading up to the March 2 celebration, Dunbar students were challenged with a daily reading log whereby the minutes spent reading were converted to miles to help the Cat in the Hat “move” across the country, all the way from New York City to Glen Ellen. A giant map in the school’s cafeteria helped keep track of the Cat’s travel progress. Students excitedly anticipated his arrival on Tuesday as they gathered in the cafeteria and a cheer erupted when he finally made his appearance, spoke to students and did some impressive stunts.
Dunbar Principal Melanie Blake was enthusiastic about the Read Across America program. “This has been a really fun and exciting event that has brought a spark and a desire to read to all of our students.”
