| OEA Contact |
Bruce Treadaway
P.O. Box 18485
Oklahoma City, OK 73154
800-522-8091
btreadaway@okea.org |
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Pledge to Participate |
| We'll post your plans online! |
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| Seuss Store: The Cat-alog |
| Welcome to the Cat-alog! This is the place to get your Seussian paraphernalia, including our all-time bestseller, the famous Cat in the Hat hat. NEA's Read Across America Cat-alog is being brought to you by the NEA Prfossional Library.
Through a partnership between the NEA Professional Library and NEA's Read Across America, you can purchase everything you need for your NEA's Read Across America celebration, as well as books and NEA logo items from the Library—all at the same time!
The NEA Professional Library is now your one-stop site for Read Across America gifts and gear. The NEA Professional Library has striped hats galore and is busy amassing other cool things to help you celebrate NEA's Read Across America in style.
Order your Seuss hats and costumes now and keep checking out this site for updates on new Read Across America products.
Also, be sure to check out inflatable Seuss products to help decorate your classroom or Read Across America event. |
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View the Governor and Mrs. Henry's reading promotion. |
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Honorary Co-chairs Courtney and Ashley Paris of the University of Oklahoma's Women's Basketball Team, OEA President Roy Bishop and friends encourage everyone to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday by reading a book.
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Good Day Tulsa
National Education Association Oklahoma Cat-A-Van Tour
Kids read Dr. Seuss
Lake Park Elementary is one of many schools participating in the Read Across America celebration
Seuss characters to help youth celebrate reading |
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| Especially for Locals |
| Help your members get noticed
Local Associations can coordinate getting the word out about member-sponsored events. Check out this list of helpful public relations tools.
Get an event idea:
Know the scoop on using the logo
NEA's licensing agreement with Dr. Seuss Enterprises specifies how we can use the Cat in the Hat image, as well as all other Seuss-related images. We need your help in adhering to this agreement so we can continue to use the Cat in the Hat graphic in our logo. Please take a look at these guidelines for using the NEA's Read Across America logo and adhere to them to keep us out of trouble. Thanks!
Save these free reproducible resources:
Distribute this cool FREE stuff to your members:
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| Background Information |
The National Education Association (NEA) annually sponsors Read Across America. NEA's Read Across America focuses the country's attention on how important it is to motivate children to read in addition to helping them master basic skills.
NEA launched the Read Across America program in 1997. The nationwide reading celebration takes place each year on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss, who epitomizes a love of learning. Dr. Seuss's use of rhyme makes his books an effective tool for teaching young children the basic skills they need to be successful. |
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| Creating a Read Across America event |
The following is a simple scenario for elementary or middle school teachers who want to conduct an NEA's Read Across America event in their classroom. This is by far the most typical celebration and can be easily adapted to other situations.
NEA's Read Across America
- Consult your principal and obtain approvals. In our experience, principals love NEA's Read Across America. Most will not only support your efforts, they will become actively involved. If your principal hasn't heard of the program, refer him or her to www.nea.org/readacross/.
- Look at your school's calendar and choose a date to celebrate. The official day is March 2. If this conflicts with another event, feel free to pick a different day. Some schools celebrate the week before or after.
- Read copyright and licensing arrangements. It's important to honor agreements with Dr. Seuss Enterprises in order to maintain our special relationship.
- Consult with your school librarian. It's likely that he or she is already familiar with Read Across America and may have ideas to offer. Reserve books in advance - there may be a run on Dr. Seuss titles!
- Ask other teachers if they are making plans. Consider coordinating your efforts for a school-wide event.
- Invite guest readers to come to your class in March and read to your students. By far, this is the most popular activity. There is something powerful about a policeman, firefighter, mayor, radio personality, pastor, high school quarterback, or grandmother sharing their love for reading. Be sure and ask your guests to talk about why reading is important in their lives, and about their favorite books when they were kids. Afterwards, have your students write thank-you notes.
- Make arrangements for a birthday cake, if resources allow. You might want to have it decorated with "Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss." If funds are short, ask if any parents are enthusiastic bakers. Easy alternatives are cupcakes or cookies. Add fruit punch or juice for a beverage.
- Get some hats! Everyone wants the famous Cat in the Hat hat, available at discount from our Cat-alog, or make your own from red and white construction paper. A 39 oz. coffee can has a good diameter for the crown, and you can trace a large dinner plate for the brim. This makes a fun class project.
- Make certificates of participation for your students. Children appreciate tangible acknowledgement of their efforts. You can download a pre-designed certificate from our Materials area, plus other fun things.
- Send information home to parents, along with parent reading tips. Some parents may offer to help, and a few may volunteer to be guest readers.
- If you're an NEA member, contact your Local Association and let them know about your plans. They may offer ideas and support.
- Put on your hats for the big day! Enjoy your guest readers. (Did you make hats for them, too?) Eat birthday cake, drink punch, and don't forget to sing "Happy Birthday" to Dr. Seuss. Read, read, read, and have fun!
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