How to Celebrate Read Across America Week

How to Celebrate Read Across America Week

by Abby Phillips

The spirit of reading is always alive, but especially when celebrating the well known Dr. Seuss. This year, NEA’s Read Across America Week may look different than in years past. Whether you are celebrating in your classroom or virtual learning space, grab a book and get reading. Celebrate Dr. Seuss and his legacy with these ideas for Read Across America Week!

1. Book Scavenger Hunt

Encourage students to go on a book scavenger hunt! Create a list of books for students to find in the classroom or at home. Include fun items like the ones we have below!

2. Guest Readers

Allow parents and other special guests to sign up to be a guest speaker. Speakers may log on to your zoom call, or they can pre-record themselves reading a book for the class and send it to you. Students will love to see their loved one’s familiar faces reading to them throughout the week!

3. Community Poetry

Invite students to create poems to share with the class. Dedicate a day during the week to recite poems from students and famous poets. Create fun topics to share about or give your students the freedom to create their own!

4. Spirit Week

Encourage students to participate in a week filled with spirit for reading! Decide on fun themes for each day and allow students to dress up each day of the week. Include days where students dress up as their favorite literary character or author, wear crazy socks, or twin with one another like Thing 1 and Thing 2. Whether you are learning in the classroom or online, students will love the excitement of the week!

5. Partner Reading

Partner students together for reading! Everything is better in pairs and reading with a friend makes everything more fun! Partner reading holds students accountable and encourages them to continue reading for longer periods of time. Have students try the “EEKK” reading strategy if learning in person. 

6. Book Swap

Organize a book swap between students. Have students bring a gently used book from home (with parent’s permission) to swap with a classmate. Your students will love getting a “brand new book.” If you are learning from a distance, have students share a link to the school’s or system’s online library. There are many free electronic books for students to read!

 However you are celebrating this year, we would love to know. Comment your favorite way to celebrate Read Across America Week!