Celebrate Reading with Read Across America Day

March 2 is officially Read Across America Day as it celebrates the birthday of Dr. Seuss, but many schools do a full week of celebrations that might be Seuss-themed, reading themed or both.

Last year I did a bunch of Seuss related content including art projects, math activities and literacy ideas, so I thought this year I’d focus a little more on reading-related crafts and activities.

Of course these things can also be Seuss-related, such as making bookmarks inspired by the Lorax (Artsy Fartsy Mama), Thing 1 and Thing 2 (Red Ted Art) or truffula trees (The Gingerbread House).

Year Round Homeschool has printable reading logs with a Seuss theme, and while these are more for grownups who remember cards in library books, this printable reading log bookmark from The Crafty Blog Stalker is really cute, too.

Playful Notes has an idea for an easy reading journal for kids you can make at home or in the classroom. And whether you wrap them up or leave the titles visible, doing a book swap in the classroom is a fun way to get kids talking about books they loved and want to share with friends (this idea is from Bear Haven Mama and talks about how you could do it with kids).

I also love a reading challenge in the form of bingo. If you’re doing this in a classroom you can make up your own challenges (read on the playground, check out a book from the library, read a book about your school mascot, etc.) or use a printable like this one from The Cozy Red Cottage. Kids can have a week or a month or however long you like to complete the challenge and then get a bookmark or book or something reading related as a prize.

One of the items on that bingo card is reading in a fort, which reminded me of the easy reading fort I made when my daughter was younger. If you don’t have room for a full-on fort, just throw some extra cozy blankets and pillows in a corner and call it your reading nook.

125 more activities to get your child to read.

How do you encourage kids to read? I’d love to hear about it!

Celebrate Dr Seuss with a Word Search Coloring Page

A Week of Dr. Seuss Inspired Art Projects

Dr. Seuss Math Activities

Looking for the best tools to help teach your child to read? Explore our specially curated Amazon Idea List featuring top-rated reading products designed to make learning to read fun and effective. From engaging phonics programs to interactive toys and books, we have everything you need to support your child’s reading journey. Visit our list now and discover the best resources to teach your child to read!

You can also see some of our other articles on reading activities and ideas here.

125 more activities to get your child to read.

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A Week of Dr. Seuss Inspired Art Projects

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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