‘Read Across America Day’ March 1

By Huntington Learning Center

March 1, Huntington Learning Center will join millions of teachers and administrators, librarians, education support professionals, higher education faculty, students and members of the National Education Association (NEA) to celebrate Read Across America Day.

Now in its 16th year, the national commemoration strives to motivate children and teens to read through a series of fun events, partnerships and reading resources.

The day also marks the 109th birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel — also known as children’s author Dr. Seuss.

“Dr. Seuss was an amazing storyteller and someone who reminds us all — parents, teachers and children alike — that reading is one of life’s great joys,” said Orville McElfresh of the Rockford Huntington Learning Center. “Huntington Learning Center is excited to celebrate Read Across America Day, a day that reminds us all how important reading is and also how fun and adventurous it can be.”

McElfresh offers several tips for parents to get their children reading, including the following:

• Be a good role model and let your child see you reading for pleasure often.

• Read out loud with your child.

• Go to the library often and enjoy the activities they have to offer, including story times for younger children and book clubs later on.

• Make reading fun. Let your child choose books that he or she is excited about, and let him or her try a range of topics, book types and authors.

• Give your child plenty of opportunities to practice reading. Reading you the mail or reading labels while grocery shopping is still reading, so be sure to engage your child in reading as often as possible.

• Incorporate reading into other interests. If your child is a sports fanatic, try offering books about favorite teams or athletes. Ask your librarian for recommendations based on your child’s personality and interests.

• Reward reading. If your child needs a little encouragement, incentivize him or her for reading each day. The more your child reads, the more successful he or she will become — and the more likely he or she will want to read more.

• Make reading a part of everyday life.

For more about Read Across America Day, visit www.nea.org/readacross.

For more about Huntington Learning Center of Rockford, contact McElfresh at (815) 395-1011 or mcelfresho@hlcmail.com, or visit www.huntingtonhelps.com.

Posted Feb. 27, 2013