Never Too Old to Celebrate Dr. Seuss & Read Across America

This wonderful mural was drawn on my white board today by one of my very talented sophomores.

March 2nd marks Dr. Seuss' birthday and many schools will also participate in NEA's Read Across America to celebrate reading.

This shouldn't be an event reserved solely for elementary students. We secondary teachers want our students to love reading, right? And who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? I can remember buying my first hardback Seuss in elementary at the Scholastic Book Fair: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. It was my favorite and I can still remember reading it as a child. When I became a mother, I loved sharing that book (and so many others) with my son. And I still love reading my favorite children's books every now and then. There's just something magical about them that make you feel young again.

So when I told my students today that I wanted them to think of their favorite Dr. Seuss books (or any books) many of them blurted out a title right away. Their eyes lit up and I could see that many were reliving fond memories from their childhood. I asked them to bring in their book tomorrow, or try to find the text of it so they could read it to the class tomorrow to celebrate the day.

Don't be afraid to take a break from your regular curriculum to allow your students to celebrate this day. Reading is an activity we want our students to love and cherish, not loathe. It shouldn't be a chore; it should be fun! Tomorrow my students will be sharing their favorite books from their childhood, and hopefully creating new memories involving books that they'll cherish years from now.

One of my students is an incredibly talented artist; he drew this tribute to Dr. Seuss on my white board during his studyhall 8th period. He also created some great Seuss figures for Mel D. of Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations. You can see them in her awesome freebie "Free Seusstastic Primary Activities".

Great job, Danny! So proud of you (and wish I could draw like that!).