It’s that time of year again! We’re gearing up for arguably one of the best events of the year. March 2nd kicks off Read Across America celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday as well as National Reading Month. It’s time to gather your To Be Read (TBR) and get reading! Anyone can participate in this month-long readathon, and it doesn’t matter what you’re reading. You can pick children’s books, chapter books, listening to a story, and anything in between.
What are some ways your school can celebrate?
Suggest Guest Readers: Invite a few people to come into the classrooms to read to the kids. These could be parents of the students, members of the community, the school boards, etc. It will add diversity not only to the culture but the books they bring in. Not every story will be the same.
Bookish Scavenger Hunt: Puzzles often engage children’s minds and improve their problem-solving skills. Depending on age, this is an excellent opportunity for a field trip to the public library. Have the students pick out books with windows, doors, an animal, etc. This would also be the perfect time to get library card applications for each student, encouraging them to visit their library often with their parents or guardians.
Musical Stories: Create songs about the student’s favorite books and authors. Kids can learn the basics of song structure like rhythm, rhyming, verses, chorus, melody, and lyrics. The students can write their own songs and perform them for everyone.
Have a Reading Party: Have everyone bring their favorite books. Each person can talk about why they like this book. After everyone has discussed their books, spend the rest of the time reading a new book.
Start a Reading Challenge: On March 2nd, everyone needs to pledge how much they will read during March. This could be the number of books, the number of pages, or the amount of time spent reading. At the end of the month, there can be a party celebrating how much each child accomplished.
