On March 2, Minnesota Reading Corps, the teachers and the educational support staff of Albert Lea elementary schools want to get the word out about the importance of children’s literacy. The National Education Association’s Read Across America is a year-round literacy program that encourages readers, both young and old, to celebrate reading.

This year marks the 18th annual celebration of reading as well as Dr. Seuss’s 111th birthday. As we gear up for NEA’s Read Across America Day, I would like to ask fellow community members to put aside the many hats they wear for work and play and don the ultimate reading hat, the red and white striped stovepipe made famous by “The Cat in the Hat,” on March 2.

Here are a few ways to get involved in supporting children’s literacy:

• Read to a child in your life.

• Contact a local school or Head Start program and volunteer to read.

• Bring your children to your public library. From story hours for toddlers to career planning for teens, the library has something for everyone.

• Resolve to make March 2 the first of many days you volunteer to read at a school, afterschool program, library or daycare facility. You can make a difference to future generations of readers.

Here in Albert Lea, I hope every child will read with a caring adult. For more information about NEA’s Read Across America, visit nea.org/readacross. Please contact me at the address below to find the details of how our classrooms will celebrate America’s favorite reading event:

Susan Nelson

Minnesota Reading Corps

volunteer coordinator

Sibley, Halverson, Hawthorne and Lakeview Schools

1501 W. Front St., Albert Lea, MN 56007

507-379-5115

susan.nelson@alschools.org

 

Susan Nelson

Minnesota Reading Corps

volunteer coordinator