Read Across America on March 2

While the National Education Association encourages children to read every day, it launched its National Read Across America Day in 1998 to celebrate reading specifically on March 2, the birthday of the beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss, according to nationaldaycalendar.com.

A 2021 proclamation signed by President Joe Biden stated “Reading broadens our perspective, introduces us to new worlds, cultures, and languages, and cultivates our sense of empathy and understanding of other people’s experiences and views. Reading informs us, empowers us, and teaches us the lessons of history. It helps us make sense of the world as it is — and inspires us to dream of what it could be.”

Participating in Read Across America Day can include reading with a child, rereading a book to see if holds new meaning, visiting a library, encouraging a child to make up a story or having a child read aloud to a pet to put them at ease with reading.

Parents can also encourage reading by leaving books everywhere children might find them. Parents might also make sure to let their children see them reading. Children who see adults reading learn that reading is important. Hosting a Read Across America Storypalooza where role models and children gather to tell stories and read is also a good way to encourage reading. Find resources to help children keep reading throughout the year at nea.org.