National Read Across America Day

[Ashley Nichols-Lampkin]

Hey Guys,

 I am new to the middle school world and have been invited by another teacher to put on an after school event for our afterschool club kids. I was wondering what sort of events you have hosted for National Read Across America day in your schools or would like to do?

Please let me know any ideas and suggestions!!

Thanks

 

*also is it appropriate to incorporate Dr Seuss with this level- would the students respond to that as they do with elementary?!?

[Tiffany Whitehead]

I think Dr. Seuss is always appropriate!!!

I sometimes make video recordings of myself reading books for my students using PhotoStory, so that I don't have to read the same long book 25 times. It would be really cool if you could have them work together and make their own recorded reading of a Dr. Seuss book (like The Lorax, which has such a great message that middle schoolers should "get" about the environment).

AND if you do that, you could send it my way and I could share it with my little ones - what a great way to "Read Across America"!

[aidamelia espaillat]

Hi
With a group of my 7th graders were are having "guest readers" read the Lorax and then they are going to plant their own seeds into a little pot as their contribution to helping the environment and beautifying their world naturally. The guest readers are 9th grade science honor students. They are really excited about it.

[Barb Odanaka]

Re Dr. Seuss: I may be biased, obviously, but I think any (legitimate) author makes for a fine subject matter for such events.

And with Dr. Seuss, you have a perfect example of someone who kept at it despite 27 publishers rejecting his work! Get into that story and the "age" factor really doesn't matter. In fact, there are many top authors (Jane Yolen, Katherine Paterson, etc.) who faced routine rejection but they didn't give up. Quite a lesson for any age!

Maybe consider inviting a real, live author to your classroom? Although many are booked months in advance, especially for that week, sometimes you can get lucky and find a local author who is available. (I'll be doing school assemblies in SoCal, Wash DC and Philadelphia that week.)