Read Across America Day highlights the importance of reading

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss.

This week, schools across the nation will celebrate National Read Across America Day in honor of the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss, who was born on March 2, 1904.

In May 1997, a small reading task force at NEA (National Education Association) came up with a big idea. “Let’s create a day to celebrate reading,” the group decided. “We hold pep rallies to get kids excited about football. We assemble to remember that Character Counts. Why don’t we do something to get kids excited about reading? We’ll call it ‘NEA’S Read Across America’ and we’ll celebrate it on Dr. Seuss’ birthday.” And so was born on March 2, 1998, the largest celebration of reading this country has ever seen.

Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.

According to an Ohio State University study that appeared in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, young children whose parents read them five books a day enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million more words than kids who were never read to. Even kids who are read only one book a day will hear about 290,000 more words by age 5 than those who don’t regularly read books with a parent or caregiver.

Additionally, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that children who are read to frequently are more likely to: count to 20 or higher than those who were not (60% versus 44%); write their own names (54% versus 40%); and read or pretend to read (77% versus 57%).

It’s not only important to read to your children, but give them a variety of options for reading material. The Educational Testing Service says that the more types of reading materials there are in the home, the higher the students are in reading proficiency. If you need help finding a good book, the Sterling Public Library is a great option with a wide variety of books for all ages and programs to get young people reading.

And parents, set a good example by picking up a book for yourself to read as well. A child who sees their parent reading will be more inclined to read on their own, too.

So, what are you waiting for, pick up a book and get reading today!

“Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.”