It's Read Across America Day!In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, take a moment to pick up a book and share a story with the young people in your life! Why not make a trip to your local library, where you can check out books by Dr. Seuss and a treasure trove of other great authors for kids?
Parents and guardians, be sure to take a look at Reading Rockets' new printable family literacy bag, which features Dr. Seuss' book The Lorax and Gail Gibbons' Tell Me, Tree. The Lorax tells the story of how the greedy Oncle-ler hacks down Truffula trees in order to make Thneeds, a rather frivolous item that he believes everyone needs. The Lorax disagrees and tries to reason with the Once-ler to get him to see the consequences of his actions on the environment, but is ignored and the Lorax himself must flee when all is destroyed. In Tell Me, Tree, we learn how to identify different kinds of trees as well as the parts of a tree, inside and out. The book also discusses the important roles trees play in our lives.
Also, you won't want to miss the extensive literacy articles and reading lists available on the website of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. In this gold mine of resources are the Parent and Guardian Handbook, Teacher Handbook, and Mentor Handbook, which include ideas, suggestions, and activities for parents, guardians, teachers, and other adults who lives and work with young people to help children become lifelong readers and writers. Be sure to read "Parent and Guardian Literacy Basics," "Teachers! Set the Stage for Great Writing," and "Attention Coaches, Youth Conselors, and Mentors: Great Ideas Connecting Kids to Books."
