Read Across America Day: An Easy Project for the Whole Family

Read Across America Day is March 2nd–Dr. Seuss’s birthday! It’s a day devoted to bringing people and books together. Reading is oh-so-important for all of us, and especially for kids. (We know this!) Reading and talking about books helps kids to develop language skills, learn empathy for others, and sets them up for success in school. Through books, they can learn about the world and discuss issues that are important to us all. (I could go on…) 

Schools are wonderful places for kids to learn to read, and great teachers will teach them to love it, too. But the most important person who can teach your child to love to read is YOU, Mama! What an awesome gift that is!

So in honor of Read Across America day, here’s an easy project that the whole family can participate in. (It’s only 3 steps!)

How to make a self-portrait using books:

  1. Choose 5-10 of your favorite books. These can be your current favorites, your favorites from childhood, or from throughout your life. 
  2. Stack them up (in any order you like–in order of favorite to most-favorite, how old you were when you read them, or grouped by why you love them).
  3. Step back and take a look at your self-portrait! It’s amazing what your stack says about you!

Want to do more with your favorite books?

Here are 10 things to do next, arranged from easiest to most-involved. (The last three are great homeschooling activities for reading comprehension!)

  1. Designate a family bookshelf to display all of your family’s favorite books. (Get creative with your display like you would for a special holiday, or designate a permanent shelf somewhere in your home.)
  2. Snap a pic (or stage a photo-shoot in your favorite reading spots) of you and your kids with your favorite books.
  3. Create a fun reading nook somewhere in your house for the week (or make it permanent!).
  4.  Swap stacks of books with a friend.
  5. Read aloud or act out scenes from your favorite books.
  6. Visit the library to look for similar books or books by the same author. (Ask your librarian for help! It’s a great way to teach your kids how to use all of the library’s resources.)
  7. Donate copies of your favorite books to a local charity or organization. (Please do your research first! Try Children Read Atlanta, Operation Paperback, Prison Book Program, or contact a local shelter or community center.)
  8. Use the titles of your books to write a poem or open each book to a random page and use them to tell a new story.
  9. Write, illustrate, or act out a scene where the main characters from two or more books interact. Or, write, illustrate, or act out what would happen when a character from one book encounters a problem from another book.
  10. Bring your favorite books to life! Dress up for the day, cook a food, play a game, or plan an adventure inspired by your favorites.

Read Across America Day: An Easy Project for the Whole Family

If you celebrate Read Across America Day with any of these activities, show off on Instagram and tag us (@atlmomsblog) using the hashtag #OurFavoriteBooks. We’d love to see your pics!