Are you a parent — a teacher — a librarian — a bookseller? Even if you’re not, but especially if you are, an upcoming March event should be of particular interest to you. Here is advance notice of the annual Read Across America, taking place this year on March 2nd.
While participating organizations nationwide do different things to mark the occasion, they’re all about reading. And if you’re a parent, teacher, librarian, or bookseller…or simply an avid reader…you’re “all about reading” too.
Reading is vital. Literacy is vital. And while reading for pure enjoyment is less crucial, it, too, plays a vital role in our lives. You see, the child (or, for that matter, adult) who reads for pleasure will improve his or her reading skills and sharpen his or her desire to read better, if by chance he or she is a slow or troubled reader.
Reading just for fun is still reading and helps practice reading skills. Interesting your child, your students—or in whatever situation you encounter readers or potential readers—in reading books for the sheer joy of escaping into another world is still a challenge that will help them improve their reading skills. (And that bit about escaping is true even if the reading matter is nonfiction. True, you’re not reading about knights and dragons, or space ships and far-off galaxies, or clever detectives solving murders, or finding your true love, but you still can get lost in a good motivational book, forget your troubles while laughing your way through humorous essays, or become completely absorbed in science fact.) The point is, besides reading’s many positive values such as informing and entertaining, reading for fun is good practice for those who need to hone their reading skills.
So when you parents buy books for your kids, you’re not spending money frivolously. Kids who learn to read well at an early age are more likely to get good grades in school, get accepted at good colleges, get scholarships, and go on to become intelligent, well-informed, and better paid adults.
Literacy — reading — it’s not just for March 2nd. It’s for all year round.
But what are you doing to mark the date of Read Across America?