Feb.

A web compilation of activities designed to promote Read Across America Send Us Your Idea!

• Do you like Dr. Seuss? Check out wide-range of resources available to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday.

• Fast Food Place Mats Contact your local McDonalds about the possibility of your students designing tray mats for them based on the Read Across America theme.  McDonalds already has mats they place in the trays so ask for these and have your students create their masterpieces on the flip side!

• Tolerance with Sneetches After a reading of the Sneetches, plan on having them share their writing responses with adults.

• Wall of Fame Border a long mural paper with hand prints (cut-out or painted). Fill the center with all the unsung heros: firefighters, police, paramedics, school employees, political leaders and other community helpers.

• Dr. Seuss Goes to Heaven Read the story Dr. Seuss Goes to Heaven posted online (http://jc-schools.net/drseuss).  Play the Dr. Seuss Goes to Heaven game by downloading the printable Dr. Seuss Goes to Heaven(Word format), Dr. Seuss Goes to Heaven(Acrobat Reader format), Dr. Seuss Game Cards (10 per set printed on Avery 27881 Business Card Sheet) Set 1, Set 2, Set 3

Seuss Squares

• Library Field Trip Plan a field trip to your local public library.  Be sure to send home the library card paperwork to be filled out so that on that day the children can use their new library card and check out a book. Made bookmarks to donate to the library that feature the Cat in the Hat.

• Visiting Readers Invite community members (Deputy Police Officer, Librarian, Dentist) to come into each classroom to read books and then rotated around the school to read to different groups of parents and students. Children and dress in their pj's and enjoy a snack.

• Buddy Readers Pair a primary level class with a local middle school class and spent the day together. The older students can prepare games, art activities, and different reading sessions for the kids.

• Importance of Reading Invite community leaders to not only read to children but also talk about the importance of reading and how they use it in their jobs. Follow-up by having students create a Thank You letter to that person. Integrate math by developing a graph of the favorite story, and make a class book of each child's favorite story.

• Cross America Move all desks and chairs out of the classroom and make a room sized floor/outline map of the United States.  Assigned small groups to read in all regions of the United States; "reading across America" within the classroom. Provide each region with short, readable books that pertain to the lifestyle of that region, or are authored by writers from that region.  Throughout the day, the students will move to different regions, to experience the literature appropriate to the area. Otain some snacks to serve at each region, native to that part of the country.

• Match the State Create a clothesline or Bulletin Board with all of the Fifty States in ABC Order.  Find a book that students LOVE to correspond with the beginning letter of each state.   Read it and hang a child created book review with the corresponding state.  For Example, California-Cat in the Hat; Iowa-If You Give a Mouse a Cookie; Virginia-Very Hungry Caterpilliar.

• Former Student Readers Have former students return to their former teachers' rooms and read to the younger students.

• Seuss Trivia Read  a Dr. Seuss trivia question over the intercom each morning. Each student is then given the opportunity to write the answer. All correct answers are entered in a drawing. One is drawn and wins a book by Dr. Seuss. 

Seuss Trivia Questions
Seuss Trivia Quiz 2
Seuss Trivia Quiz 3

• Door Decorating Establish a school-wide Door decorating contest. Each class decorates their classroom doors based on their favorite book.

• Cat in the Hat, Hat Create a red & white stripe Cat in the Hat look alike hat.

Cut a 12x18 sheet of red construction paper in half. Staple the 9 inch ends together on one side overlapping about an inch. (This gives you 23" to go around the child's head.)  Wrap around the child's head so that it fits and staple again. I usually use about 3 staples per side.
Cut white stripes 2-3" wide. Staple two around the hat spacing evenly. (The hat has 3 red stripes, 2 white and a white brim - according to the sites I checked.)
To make a brim that sticks out, fold a 12x18 sheet of white construction paper in half. From the fold, draw a half circle from one edge to the other. Try using a large (331/3 rpm) record or circular trash can so it will be even.
This is the hard part to explain… Draw another half circle about 1 1/2 " inside with two rectangular 'teeth'. (Teeth point toward the fold) Should look like a smiling jack-0-lantern mouth when you cut it out. Open and you have a circle with 4 prongs in the middle. Fold the prongs up and fit the hat over the prongs. Staple hat to brim on the prongs. Sometimes the fit is wonderful, sometimes you have a bit of a bunch or gather on the brim. Hats usually fit well.

• Creative Words Ask students to make up a new word and write definition, use a big word and create little words from it. These can be hung from the ceiling or on the wall outside classrooms.

• Book Exchange Ask children to bring in a gently used book or two and have a classroom book exchange.

• BEAR Have a BEAR (Be Excited About Reading) contest. Classes dress up a bear as a book character.

• LifeSaver "Cat Hats"  Students pattern 5 LifeSaver candies onto 1 Necco candy to make a "Cat in the Hat" hat.  Look/ read through he book The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Play close attention to the hat. Choose 5 LifeSavers making a pattern. Choose 1 Necco Wafer or small round piece of paper. Place the Necco Wafer down and apply a little frosting. Put a LifeSaver on the frosting and apply frosting to the top of the LifeSaver. Add another LifeSaver and apply frosting to the top of the LifeSaver. Repeat with LifeSavers until all five LifeSavers are used. Choose to copy the pattern of your LifeSaver Hat onto a white paper with crayon or paper tear a copy of your hat with scrap paper. If time paper tear or draw a cat's hat.

• Daisy Head-Bands Students will learn the story about Daisy Head Maisy. Students will make a headband to fit their head. Students will make flowers from scrap paper and attach them to the headband. Students look through the book (if adult is present they will read the story) Students make a headband from thin strips of construction paper stapling in an added piece if needed. Using construction paper scraps, glue sticks and scissors, students make flower stems and flowers. Students glue the flowers to the headband.

• Favorite Book Bookmarks Students look through a variety of Dr. Seuss books and pick their favorite. Students create a bookmark, which tells about their favorite book.

• Street Signs Students will read the story To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss.  Students will create their own street sign using Popsicle sticks, paper, markers, glue, and clay.  Students will complete a grade appropriate mapping worksheet (see attached). Students read or at least look through the book To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss.  Students make a street sign by writing their name or a street names on a piece of paper and then cut the paper to look like a street sign. Glue the sign to the top of a Popsicle stick. Stick the bottom end of the stick into a small clump of clay. The sign should be standing up easily.  Complete a mapping worksheet that is grade appropriate.

• Family Literacy Night Plan a Family Literacy Night in which activities are designed to involve children and their parents to share the love of reading.  A list of suggested activites can be found online.

Many people in the United States, particularly students, parents and teachers, join forces on Read Across America Day, annually held on March 2. This nationwide observance coincides with the birthday of Dr Seuss, who is known for writing children’s books.

What do people do?

Read Across America Day promotes reading, particularly for children and young adults.  Many schools, libraries, and community centers across the United States participate in the day by bringing people together to take part in reading books. Various reading activities and events are held across the country on this day. For example, some students take part in a Read Across America channel designed to showcase student and educator videos around the country. Others make reading pledges, organize book fairs, or read aloud to groups of people.  

Public life

Read Across America Day an observance and is not a federal public holiday in the United States.

Background

In 1997 an organization known as the National Education Association (NEA), pushed for a special day to celebrate reading throughout the United States. This idea proved to be a popular one so it was not long before the first Read Across America Day was held on March 2, 1998. This nationwide observance coincides with the birthday of Dr Seuss (Geisel), an American writer best known writing children’s books. Some of his books include Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and The Cat in the Hat.

The NEA represents about 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.  It provides resources and activities for educators, parents, and children.

Have a great week,

Vivian Garfunkel