On Read Across America Day the White House has proclaimed we celebrate the power of literacy to expand our minds and understanding of the world around us.
New River Primary School participates by having a ‘Dr. Seuss Week’ the 4th through the 7th of March, culminating in a ‘Dr. Seuss Night’ on March 7 (from 5-7 pm) that’s all about reading. Sponsored by Title 1 and the PTA.
“Each teacher will have individual activities in their room and then we’ll have some schoolwide activities,” said assistant principal Marsha Bishop. “We’re going to try to film students reading (doing a read-aloud) and then we’ll show that at the ‘Dr. Seuss Night’ on the big screen.”
According to Bishop, board games will be provided to families to encourage family connections and learning at home.
Read Across America is about creating and celebrating a nation of diverse readers, and what better than getting lost in a good book.
Bishop says while reading is not as fun as flipping through an iPad (for a generation of kids brought up on technology), they try to get the kids interested in reading.
“Find a book that you enjoy reading, find an author or genre that you enjoy reading,” said the assistant principal. “And we have the accelerator reader program going on, where they read and earn prizes for reading.”
Bishop says as a reading specialist it’s wonderful to see kids light up when they read a book and learn to read to enjoy it, as a lifetime activity.
“Right now we’re focusing on learning to read. In third grade and higher they focus on reading to learn,” she said. “So, we are the foundation for all of that.”
It’s simple and only requires finding a quiet place for yourself.
“With reading all you need is a book, not a lot of bells and whistles, not a lot of technology — just a lap and a book,” Bishop said.
* To get your child reading, attend Fayette County Schools 2024-2025 live virtual kindergarten registration scheduled for March 22, 2024.
