A Nation of Readers Under One Hat.

What is NEA’s Read Across America?
A program of the National Education Association (NEA) now in its eigth year, NEA’s Read Across America Day--celebrated annually on Dr. Seuss's birthday, March 2--generates enthusiasm for reading nationwide and focuses the country’s attention on how important it is to motivate children to read. Reading opens the doors to achievement, and Read Across America Day celebrations—whether large or small—are crucial building blocks toward making the joys of reading an integral part of every child’s life.

Why Celebrate Dr. Seuss?
Dr. Seuss is the most beloved children’s book author of all time. His use of rhyme makes his books an effective tool for teaching young children the basic skills they need to be successful and develop a life-long love of reading. Celebrating Dr. Seuss and reading sends a clear message to our children that reading is both fun and important.

Who is Celebrating?
To honor the good doctor and celebrate the fun and value of reading, the NEA, with support from its partners, affiliates, and members, will bring America under one hat—the famous red-and-white stovepipe of the Cat—for a flurry of reading excitement on March 2. To accomplish this mass bedecking, NEA is encouraging events all across the country where groups who typically wear hats for their professions or for fun can exchange their regular hats for reading hats—like the red-and-white stovepipe of the Cat—and spend time reading to or with children.

How Can I Get More Information?
www.nea.org/readacross OR e-mail: readacross@nea.org
Phone: 202.822.SEUS
Write: NEA’s Read Across America
c/o National Education Association
1201 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Read Across America 2005 Event Kit
Download the 2005 Read Across America event kit. (PDF format, 1.95 MB, approx. 6.5 minute download on a 56K computer)

Download Read Across America 2005 printable activities below (PDF format):
-The Many Important Hats!
-Can You Find the Cats?
-Where Are the Fish?
-The Sneetches!
-Which Words Don't Belong?
-Cat Tricks!
-Fun-in-a-Box Cat Crate

To honor Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, on the anniversary of his 101st birthday, NEA, in conjunction with Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, has developed materials to help educators and others take children on an in depth odyssey to learn about the man behind the pseudonym. “The Many Hats of Ted Geisel” materials are designed to help educators take students through the creative process of writing their own children’s picture book. Activity suggestions are separated by grade level so that students of all ages will have the opportunity to enjoy building skills and imaginations through pre-writing, writing, editing, illustrating, reading, publishing, and advertising activities.

The Many Hats of Ted Geisel Activities
Find more great activities to share with children.
Teachers: download activities for the classroom.

You can request NEA’s Read Across America Resource Kit for 2005, which includes recipes for reading events, reproducible activities for kids (in Spanish and English), and “The Many Hats of Ted Geisel,” an educator’s guide that uses the life and imagination of Ted Geisel to inspire readers of all ages to write and illustrate their own children’s books from: NEA’s Read Across America, c/o National Education Association, 1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 or readacross@nea.org.

LeVar Burton and young Seuss fans celebrate Read Across America Day.

The Orioles’ Cal Ripken reads with Seuss fans.