Take part in the largest reading event in the United States on Monday, March 2! Gather books and readers for NEA’s Read Across America Day, celebrated on or around the birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. For background on the event and additional information, visit the ReadWriteThink.org calendar entry, and use the following resources to explore reading and celebrate Dr. Seuss with students:
Reading Everywhere with Dr. Seuss
As they create a book modeled on the rhythm and rhyme of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, students discover all the special places they can read, in this ReadWriteThink.org lesson plan. To suggest families try a similar activity at home, tap the Reading Hunt instructions, one of the ReadWriteThink.org Parent & Afterschool resources.
“What Picture Books Do You Recommend for Use in the English Language Arts Classroom?”
This English Journal article includes an activity based on Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches that asks students to analyze the story and connect it to history, current events, and their own lives. The article includes additional ideas using books by other authors as well.
Parody: An Introduction through Poetry
In exploring examples of parody and writing their own short parodies, students are drawn into a close examination of writers’ form, language, and style.
Id, Ego, and Superego in Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat
Read Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat to your secondary or college students to introduce psychoanalytical criticism. The simple examples in the book can then be applied to more sophisticated works that students read.
From Dr. Seuss to Jonathan Swift: Exploring the History behind the Satire
Explore the historical allusions behind Dr. Seuss’s The Butter Battle Book as prelude to a discussion of the history behind a passage from Gulliver’s Travels.
“Relationships with Literature”
This article from English Education describes how preservice teachers reflect on their personal connections to the texts they have read; one student connects to Dr. Seuss’s Great Day for Up. Invite preservice teachers to explore similar issues by reflecting on their own relationships to literature and the importance of encouraging students to build personal connections through events such as Read Across America.
Looking for more ways to celebrate reading?
Take part in the African American Read-In! – Students come together with family and friends to take part in a read-in of books by African American authors and report their results.
Celebrate Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week – Students “step into the shoes” of their favorite author by reading several of their books, conducting research, and preparing displays and presentations for the class.