Today is Read Across America Day!

Today launches a national kickoff of National Education Associations‘ Read Across America where millions of readers around the country will share their love of reading in places large and small.

Kids had different challenges from their classrooms today for this celebration.  My first grader went to school in her pajamas; with her favorite book, pillow and stuffed animal for a dedicated day to inspire a love for reading.

What could be better than getting comfortable and reading a good book?  Here are some good reading sites our teacher recommends:

www.starfall.com
www.funbrain.com/
www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/first_grade_internet2.htm#Reading
http://www.eduplace.com/

The school will be serving cupcakes for snack.  The cupcakes will be arranged on the tables in the form of a very long book worm.  It will resemble Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Loved this idea!

Our preschoolers were encouraged to dress up as their favorite character from a book.  My 3 year old went dressed up “Dr.Seuss Silly” with the the one fish blue fish theme shirt and funky socks, hair and cat in the hat HAT!

She loves the Dr.Seuss Big Green Book of Beginner Books – all in one!

For my 5 year old son, he loves food- so we cooked up a batch of pancakes from his favorite recipe book, enjoyed breakfast together and sent him off dressed as a chef with recipe book in hand.

He then baked up a few silver dollar size pancakes for his fellow classmates to enjoy.

Here are some Seuss-gestions of activities from NEA that you can do with your family:

1. Team up with Read Across America partners for your event. NEA’s Read Across America has more than 50 national organization partners from the American Library Association to Youth Service America. Check out partners list and find out if there’s a local link for you.
2. Have your mayor, school board, or legislators issue a proclamation. You can use NEA’s sample proclamation to create your own.
3. Hit the airways and read on the radio. Ask your local radio disc jockey to read or even broadcast from your school. They’ll love the opportunity.
4. Aim high. Who says high school students won’t get involved? High School students love reader’s theater and poetry slams, and middle school students can organize book fairs and read to elementary students, or create blogs to engage their peers.
5. Play the pajama game. Invite your family over to don their pajamas and snuggle up and read in an evening readathon.
6. Tip your hats to hometown heroes. Write to local heroes and ask them about their favorite books. Showcase these hometown heroes at school.
7. Put reading on parade or hold a book lovers’ ball. Invite friends over and choose a local authors and illustrators and showcase their books and characters in style for a night out!
8. Put on your culture cap. Create a culture cafe and put books on the menu. Your reading recipes can combine food and fiction or nonfiction and offer a taste of reading’s great adventures.
9. Make your reading event a multilingual, multicultural affair. Looking for readers? Why not try storytellers from your ethnic minority communities. Their oral traditions are treasure troves for your children.
10. Team up for reading. Challenge your teammates and coaches to read a book about your sport together!