Read Across America Day

Today is Read Across America Day! If you’re unfamiliar with this wonderful day, let me enlighten you. In 1998, the National Education Association along with a committee of educators launched Read Across America Day. This day has become the nation’s largest celebration of reading, according to their website.

I first heard about Read Across America Day from my husband who works in the public school system. Each year, members of the school district where he works are asked or volunteer to read books to children of all ages. My husband enjoys doing this each year and he’s got a plethora of funny voices that make the reading all the more enjoyable for both him and the kids. (Bonus fun fact: Today is also Dr. Seuss’s birthday!)

The program is a year-round endeavor, though, and focuses on “motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone.”

Through books, we can learn about many different nations, cultures, traditions, and history without leaving the comfort of our couch. Reading is essential to everyone, but young children especially. Did you know that just six additional minutes of reading per day can significantly improve kids’ reading performance? And that reading could help reduce mental decline in old age by up to 32%. In addition, reading fiction can make you a better decision maker. (Check out this post for more fun facts.)

According to the Literacy Project, in 2019, 45 million Americans were functionally illiterate and couldn’t read above a fifth-grade level.

Think your kids get all the words they need from watching TV or the internet? According to the Literacy Project, books contain many words that children are unlikely to encounter frequently in spoken language. Books for kids actually contain 50% more words that children are unlikely to encounter frequently than regular conversation, TV, or radio.

Reading to young children is especially important because the greatest amount of brain growth occurs between birth and age five. Reading to a child can help them understand words sooner and will help them to make their own cognitive choices. And young children who are exposed to certain early language and literacy experiences usually prove to be good readers later. (Read more here.)

But even as an adult, reading can offer us many benefits. Reading helps me relax at the end of a long day—even though my day is spent primarily reading! There is nothing like a good book to take me away from the stresses of the day. But fiction is not the only option. My husband reads nonfiction—primarily history—to relax, expand his mind, and to grow as a person. He feels if we understand the past, we can better prepare for the future.

I encourage you to read to someone today—whether it be a young child, an older adult who perhaps cannot see to read anymore, or even to yourself. Reading is a fundamental part of our growing process. If you can’t afford books, check into your local library. You can even get book loans on your digital device now from libraries. And Kindle has many free books often available. (But be warned, these are not always well-written books.) Or touch base with a book-loving friend. I bet they have some they want to give away but haven’t had the chance. I bet they would even loan you a few books to read!

Thanks for reading this blog today! What other books, blogs, or articles do you plan to read today?

Learn more about the year-long efforts of the National Education Association here.