Read Across America Day

The National Education Association annually sponsors Read Across America. Now in its twelfth year, it focuses on motivating children to read, in addition to helping them master basic skills. The reading celebration takes place each year on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids and books, and you can too! On March 2, the National Education Association calls for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult. The Beginning In May 1997, a small reading task force at NEA 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’s birthday.” And so was born on March 2, 1998, the largest celebration of reading this country has ever seen