March is marked in many local schools as Read Across America month, and celebrates children’s author Dr. Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss’s birthday is March 2, but month long celebrations are taking place all over. True to the famed children’s author, school activities focus on reading.
While Read Across America was created by the National Education Association, no matter what people think of unions, we hope everyone can agree on the importance of reading, and of reading to children early and often. Whether it’s dressing up as the Cat in the Hat, creating green eggs and ham, serving as a “celebrity reader” in a local elementary school, or just cuddling up to your child to read a bedtime story, Read Across America reminds us of the importance of what could easily become a lost art in the rush of life today.
There’s not a more important factor in future success than the ability and the desire to read. Most of us take our ability to read for granted and don’t remember how we learned, but we use the skill everyday. Research shows that kids who spend time reading recreationally perform better in school, and whether it’s by reading traffic signs or employment applications, college textbooks or exam questions, reading follows us through our lives.
Read Across America isn’t just for kids. There is great enjoyment to be had from sitting by a warm fire or relaxing by a pool and letting a good book transport you to another world. If your child’s asks you to spend a little extra time reading at home this week, go for it. In the midst of busy, out of control schedules, it will be time well spent. While you’re at it, schedule a trip to the children’s room at your local library. Seeing an entire building filled with books can open up yet another memorable reading experience for your youngster.
There is also great enjoyment to be had from learning something new from and informative nonfiction on your favorite figure or subject. Whatever the genre, there’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book, these habit starts young.
Across America underscores the importance of the simple act of picking up a book and getting lost in its story. You can read on your phone, you can read on a computer, a paper and best of all, you can read a book. And when you read to a child, you’re building memories for both of you. As Dr. Seuss wrote, “You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pickup a book and read to a child.