Reading, Writing and Dr. Seuss

“I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!” What adult or child could resist such a title! Dr. Seuss has such an incredible ability to get our attention, no matter our age or interests. My second grade students and kindergartners loved Dr. Seuss and were so surprised to discover that green eggs tasted no different than yellow eggs! At home, my sons—and now my grandchildren—still love the silly rhymes and fascinating illustrations in Theodor Geisel’s wonderful books that continue to make learning to read fun. And when the Cat in the Hat visits schools, the adults are just as excited to see him as the kids!

   
NEA’s Read Across America celebration is now in its thirteenth year. This National Education Association program aims to build a nation of readers through year-round events that focus on motivating children and teens to read through classroom, school and community activities, partnerships with other groups, and loads of reading resources.

NEA's Read Across America Day, NEA's national reading celebration, takes place each year on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books and you can too! Visit our website for links to Read Across resources or to schedule the Cat.  We hope that every child will be reading in the company of a caring adult on March 2. There really is nothing like sitting together with a good book, talking about the illustrations, the choice of words, the rhymes, the parts of the story.  I don’t believe there is a video or movie that can compete with that experience.

In these days of blogging and texting, of YouTube and Wikipedia, literacy is more important than ever. Our kids are bombarded by opinions masquerading as fact, exposed to inventive spelling, the victims of hurtful statements sent in a fairly anonymous manner. Certainly we all suffer from information overload and too much connectivity. So literacy skills, including analytical and critical thinking skills, are more important than ever. And the skills are not necessarily the same for media as for a book.

I came across this statement from FCC Commissioner Michael Copps that sums this up so well. He said: “The more I grasp the pervasive influence of media on our children, the more I worry about the media literacy gap in our nation’s educational curriculum.  We need a sustained K-12 media literacy program—something to teach kids not only how to use the media but how the media uses them.  Kids need to know how particular messages get crafted and why, what devices are used to hold their attention and what ideas are left out.  In a culture where media is pervasive and invasive, kids need to think critically about what they see, hear and read.  No child’s education can be complete without this."

As we celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday throughout the month and the year with a variety of reading and writing events, it’s important to keep in mind the importance of understanding and teaching these media literacy skills. This is still an evolving topic that we are continuing to learn more about. You will find an article from ASCD that will stimulate your thinking in this area at this link.

Remember, you're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read with a child.

In unity,

Sharon