It's that time of year again - Read Across America Week is almost here! Are you ready? We celebrate this at my school every year, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to share some of my ideas with you (and some ideas from the fine folks on Pinterest, too!).
Here are some quick and simple ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday at your school. You can find lots more Dr. Seuss ideas on my Pinterest board. If you're not already following me on Pinterest, you can follow now! Just click the link below.
1. Decorate your door!
Yes, it takes a bit of time to do this one, but there are some really cool ideas out there and the students love it! Check out these Dr. Seuss-themed door pins from my Dr. Seuss board on Pinterest.
2. Invite some special guest readers to your school.
Each year, we ask folks from the Board of Education and other community leaders to come in and read a Dr. Seuss book to each homeroom. We've had police officers, the town mayor, firefighters, and many others step up to do this for our students. The best way to find these community leaders is to think about parents who might be willing to read in uniform. Just give them a call and ask them if they can help you out for about 30 minutes. I've very rarely had anyone say no to this request, and the students love it!
3. Set up Dr. Seuss centers.
If you've been here long, you know I'm a big fan of library centers (or library stations). Just check out this blog post or one of my many podcasts on the subject to learn more. If you use my library lesson plans, you'll find several Dr. Seuss centers in March, but I'll list a few of my favorites here as well.
-
-
- Make a simple craft like this paper plate Cat in the Hat
-
- Here are 75 more craft and activity ideas from MomEndeavors.com
4. Get the entire school involved with a Dr. Seuss-themed week!
I have done this every year I've been a librarian and it is always so much fun! Send a note home with your students explaining what Read Across America week is and what they should wear each day to celebrate. Check out this sample parent letter I've created for you to edit and use for your school, including ideas for what students can wear each day! Be sure to take lots of pictures!

5. Host a Family Reading Night to get parents involved.
Invite parents and students to a special night of reading in the library with a Dr. Seuss theme.
6. Invite teachers to participate in a Dr. Seuss-themed bulletin board challenge.
You could give away a book fair gift certificate to the winning board. Take pictures and let students vote for their favorite!
7. Create a reading challenge for your students with a special incentive.
Choose an activity, such as reading minutes, AR points, or something else you can measure during the week. Ask students to reach a certain goal to receive a special reward, like extra recess, or even taping the librarian or principal to the wall! These types of rewards cost almost nothing and students love them!
There you have it! Seven simple ways to celebrate Seuss! Which one is your favorite? What fun ideas do you use at your school? Share with us in the comments!
Nice ideas! Thanks for sharing.
I love your ideas. Thank you so much for sharing.
Miles of smiles,
Trish