March Reading Rally!

Read Across America Day is a nationwide celebration of reading hosted by the NEA! Read Across America day takes place every year on Dr. Seuss' birthday- March 2nd. It is a extra special day that celebrates READING!! I've teamed up with The Primary Pack to bring you some reading fun!!

This is a day to get creative and show kids the magic you can find inside books! 

As a kid, I was crazy for books. I loved the way I could be transported to another world, just by reading the words on a page. My mom said that I was the only child that would hide to keep reading, instead of going outside to play. I have always had a tendency to get sick and books were my constant companions. I spent countless hours becoming someone else and visiting new worlds, as I recuperated in bed. Magic surrounded the written word.

I want to give this gift of magic to my own children, albeit with a little more balance. I know I've succeeded in passing along my love of reading, when I see my son trying to walk up the stairs while trying to finish the last chapter Harry Potter and my daughter trying to hold her handstand and read the end of Cat in the Hat. It makes me smile.

In the realm of children's books, Dr. Seuss is a master of magic. He was able to craft words and pictures to create irresistible worlds. The words are easy for children to read, but the stories are pure magic. A perfect combination for a beginning reader.

There are so many ideas for bringing Dr. Seuss books to life. Head over to NEA's Read Across America site pick up a bunch of printable activities to use with your kids. They have a classroom activity guide, a printable bookmark, and a class reading list to share what each child was reading! Keep looking and you will find links to pages and pages of classroom activities and printables.

Books and food are two of my favorite things, so I love bringing the two together. The Truffula trees from The Lorax are iconic Seuss. Rambutan is an amazing fruit that resembles the tops of the Truffula trees. I introduced to this fabulous fruit in the Phillipines. Lucky for me, my local grocery store happened to have rambutan in the produce section.

Initially, I introduced my kids to rambutan through the internet. We learned fun facts about rambutan from FunWithYourFood.com. Then, we compared the images of the trees in The Lorax to the the real rambutan fruit. The kids were thrilled by the similarities. Then, the kids created their own personal rambutan/truffula tree. They created the bottoms of the trees and popped a rambutan on the for top. 

The most fun came next. We actually got to eat the rambutan. We predicted what taste, texture, and color of the fruit inside. 

Then, we actually experienced the rambutan. We felt them and decided that they felt a little fuzzy on the outside and squishy on the inside. My son thought that the fruit felt a lot like a gummy bear and looks like a shimmery jelly fish. It tasted a lot like a sweet and sour grape with a big seed in the middle. The kids were hesitant to taste it, but really excited once they took the plunge. 

We also ate star fruit as a Dr. Seuss food. The kids loved the star shape and immediately held the star to their bellies- just like a Sneetch! I love that they were able to experience new foods and tie them into the books that we were reading!

Need more ideas... Pinterest is full of amazing ideas to use with your kids! I've spent lost many hours immersed in the wonders of Pinterest! Of course, I had to create a board dedicated to Read Across America! You can find the whole board here.

Here are a few of my favorite finds for Read Across America. Teaching Blog Addict has compiled a list of 33 fantastic ideas that you can use to enhance your exploration of Dr. Seuss books! Check it out here or pin it for later.

Get more fun Dr. Seuss ideas to use with Read Across America from Premeditated Leftovers! See the crafts, activities, and printables here or pin for later.

Check out lots more Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Ideas on my Pinterest board!

I hope you have a wonderful time on your Read Across America day and bring out the magic of reading for you and your kids!

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