Kids and characters read for Dr. Seuss’ birthday

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — There were a lot of characters Friday at Donald P. Yates Primary School.

Pirates, Johnny Appleseed, Cinderella and just about all the characters Dr. Seuss ever thought of, including Thing 1 and Thing 2, roamed the halls.

There will be more of them at schools around the region on Monday, when many schools will celebrate Read Across America Day.

Since 1997, the day designated by the National Education Association has been observed on March 2, the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel. Since the birthday falls on Sunday this year, many schools will celebrate Monday.

The Early Childhood Education Program at Cleveland State Community College planned its Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss for today.

But Judy Gault at Yates Primary School saw a chance to combine Leap Day and Read Across America on Friday. She called it Leaping into Literacy Day.

“The children always get so excited so we thought it would be better to do this on Friday,” she added.

It’s the fifth annual childhood literacy event for Cleveland State, associate professor Suzanne Wood said. About 350 children attended last year, she said.

Parents, grandparents and teachers lined the hallways at Yates on Friday to watch the parade of characters. The children held the books that featured the person or thing they were dressed as. Later, teachers and guests read a story to pupils in their classrooms.

Yates librarian Jennifer Johnson wore pirate dress for the event.

“They love to read. They love to dress up. Putting the two things together, they see other children dressed u p and they think, ‘I want to read that book.’ So we are doing this to inspire more kids to read,” Ms. Johnson said.

Principal Carolyn Ingram said Read Across America goes on the school calendar as soon as the school year begins.

“This is a big day for us every year,” she said. She had a red-and-white-striped Cat in the Hat top hat on her head and cat whiskers on her face. Her granddaughters, Ella and Anna, were dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella.

Gloria Scott Richmond, music teacher at Blythe-Bower Elementary, visited Yates to read the Seuss book, “I am Not Going to Get Up Today.”

“Imagination can take you anywhere,” she said afterwards.

She is co-president of the Cleveland Education Association, part of the National Education Association.

NEA President Reg Weaver said in a news release that this is the 11th annual Read Across America program.

“The first time a parent, grandparent or sibling picks up a book and opens it with a child, the future burns brighter,” he said.

FAST FACTS

* Read Across America Day sponsored by NEA and 40 national organizations.

* It is celebrated on the March 2 birthday of Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel, 1904-1991.

Source: www.nea.org/readacrossamerica