If you've ever shared a book with a child, you know the joy and excitement this small but meaningful act can bring. But, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, since 1993 only 53 to 58 percent of children ages three to five received this joy on a daily basis.
We can do better! Simply reading daily with a child does require parents, older brothers and sisters, and other caring adults to add yet another hat to the many they already wear to care for and raise a child. But by adding the reading hat to your collection, you also add great rewards:
- Children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school.
- Children who read frequently develop stronger reading skills.
- Families who read together for 20 minutes per day get over 120 hours of extra bonding time each year.
To get kids excited about reading and encourage more adults to spend time reading with their children, the National Education Association (NEA) launched the first NEA's Read Across America day in 1998. On March 2, 2018, NEA's Read Across America will mark twenty years of celebrating reading and the birthday of Dr. Seuss.
So from coast to coast, teachers, celebrities, community members, and parents are putting aside the many hats they wear for work and play and donning their reading hats, the red and white striped stovepipe hat of the Cat in the Hat. Locally, join in the celebration of Dr Seuss' birthday and Read Across America Day at these fun family events:
- Thursday, March 1, 2018
Happy Birthday, Dr Seuss! (Hickory) - Friday, March 2, 2018
Read Across America Seuss Party (Statesville)
Read Across America & Dr Seuss' Birthday (Morganton)
Happy Birthday, Dr Seuss! (Hickory)
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! (Bethlehem)
Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration (Hickory) - Saturday, March 3, 2018
Dr. Seuss Celebration (Conover)
Dr Seuss Birthday Party (Lincolnton) - Monday, March 5, 2018
Dr Seuss Movie Night (Vale) - Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Dr. Seuss Storytime & Craft (Hildebran) - Friday, March 9, 2018
Dr. Seuss Birthday Party (Hickory)
Let's all join together on March 2, and every day thereafter, to ensure that our children have caring adults to share books and rich reading experiences.
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