By Denise Jennex
It’s time to start planning for NEA’s Read Across America program. Headlining the 2003 celebration which will take place on Monday, March 3, are honorary co-chairs actor Esai Morales, who plays Lt. Tony Rodriguez on NYPD Blue, and actress Ming-Na, who plays Dr. Chen on ER and was the voice of Mulan in the animated Disney classic.
The National Education Association, with support from more than 40 national non-profit and association partners, annually sponsors this program to promote reading while celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday. NEA’s Read Across America focuses the country’s attention on how important it is to motivate children to read in addition to helping them master basic skills.
In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others develop NEA’s Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Governors, mayors and other elected officials recognize the role reading plays in their communities with proclamations and floor statements. Athletes and actors issue reading challenges to young readers. Teachers and principals seem to be more than happy to dye their hair green or be duct-taped to a wall if it boosts their students’ reading.
Start planning now and get parents involved. When teachers reach out to families, a recent U.S. Department of Education study shows, reading scores of low-achieving students rise 40 to 50 percent between third and fifth grade.
To help prepare for the Monday, March 3 literacy event, NEA has posted ideas at www.nea.org/readacross. The site provides the basics to get started.