Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Day

Dr. Seuss would be 104 today. While he is no longer with us, the legacy he has left behind him is greater then most men can ever hope to achieve. Dr. Seuss has left with American children and their parents and their grandparents and excitement and joy for reading. It is very fitting then that on the good Doctor's birthday the nation would celebrate Read Across America Day. This celebration takes forms all over the nations with read ins, reading tours, classroom fun, and more. Whether you live in a large city or a small, something is being done to celebrate Dr. Seuss and reading.

Dr. Seuss, more then just reading.

Dr. Seuss has touched our hearts for years because his books were more then just reading. It is true that they were great books to read and often worked hard to help children learn necessary skills and words according to word families. But, his books were about reading and more importantly about fun. It wasn't just enough to read the books, but you had to experience them as well. It was about having them jump to life in all their silliness and excitement.

At the age of 24, I remember a great deal of memorable Dr. Seuss books. There are some that most remember from their childhood. Things like "The Cat in the Hat", "The Lorax", and of course "Green Eggs and Ham" (just a few of my favorites. But Dr. Seuss didn't stop there. He had books for all ages, all reading abilities, be it board books with quick and fast sayings, such as "There's a Wocket in My Pocket" to more advanced stories and even some that will go down in so many minds.

From Crib to College.

Dr. Seuss has something for everyone. Whether you are buying a new book for your baby or you are sending that baby off to college, you can literally seek out the doctor. I received, "Oh, the Places You Will Go!" as a graduation gift. I looked at it often, read through it, and remembered that no matter what, I really did have places to go. It was the book I read when feeling down or lonely. It was my inspiration. It is with books like that, that Dr. Seuss has touched us, young and old, forever more.

Repeating the Cycle.

Now my son is 19 months. His attention span isn't very long. He gets frustrated with the books if they are too long. But there are Dr. Seuss books just for him and we read them regularly. These silly stretches of the imagination work our imagination and help making reading the fun adventure that it should be. As my son grows he will experience Dr. Seuss as part of his regular book readings. Hopefully Seuss will inspire him to learn to love reading as much as he did me.

Dr. Seuss and Literacy.

Dr. Seuss and his books have become a huge part of literacy and reading education in this nation. His books have helped children of all ages and abilities increase in their reading skills. Dr. Seuss is also key for encouraging a love of reading in children. When children find it fun to be read to, read, or find new books then they are more likely to turn to this activity for entertainment. Dr. Seuss' books are always fun and never dull. They often stretch the imagination and excite with wonderful illustrations and a form that is all Dr. Seuss. Without him, a good portion of our children would never discover the joy of reading. Oh, sure, they would still learn to read, but there would be no love in it. We have much to thank Dr. Seuss for.

Dr. Seuss will go down in history. He will be remembered and upstaged only by some of his most wonderful creations. Worlds and creatures that are pure fun all while teaching lessons, and encouraging reading. Nothing can be a better legacy then that. On the National Education Associations Read Across America Day we can tip our hats to the man who encourages children to read, not just on this one day of celebration, but each and every day!