Saturday, March 2, 2024 | 2 a.m.
One hundred and twenty years ago today, the author and cartoonist Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was born in Springfield, Mass.
Since 1998, schools across the country have celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday with a special event called National Read Across America Day. But this year, with Seuss’ birthday falling on a Saturday, many schools took the opportunity for weeklong celebrations of the joys of reading.
We think extending the celebration of the written word is a fine idea and encourage school administrators, teachers and parents alike to make National Read Across America Week an annual fixture of children’s education.
We also encourage parents to make reading a part of their child’s everyday experience.
For all the ways parents can brighten the future for their young children, none has more value — immediately and for long-term success in school and life — than reading them a book.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, young children whose parents read to them every day have a significantly larger vocabulary than children whose parents don’t read to them. They are also more likely than their peers with less exposure to books and reading to enter school with the ability to count to 20 or higher (60% versus 44%) and write their own names (54% versus 40%).
Being read a story by an attentive, animated adult is one of the most pleasurable experiences a child can have and strengthens the bond between parent and child.
When reading with our children, the story becomes an adventure we share and a common starting point for conversations about everything from science, technology, history and ethics to friendship, family and loving relationships.
After all, by engaging in a conversation about why a character in a book said a certain phrase, made a certain choice or took a certain action, we can set the stage for having those same conversations with our children about their words, choices and actions, or the words, choices and actions they see on television, TikTok or in the news.
Moreover, the benefits of reading continue to grow over time.
A mountain of research has repeatedly shown that young children who read regularly are more likely to continue reading as they get older, and that children of any age who spend more time reading do better in school than their peers who read less.
Those findings are unsurprising given that academic pursuits often reward those with advanced reading and language skills, but we also believe that by sharing the many different stories of people, places and adventures around the world, reading opens young minds to other types of learning.
Books like Eric Carle’s “Very Hungry Caterpillar” introduce young readers to basic biological concepts like metamorphosis while challenging young readers to work hard and realize their full potential.
As they grow older, books like Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” can continue to provide education on science, technology and the sometimes strange wonders of marine biology.
Even comic books can contain lessons on politics, science, ethics and the law.
This is why providing a variety of options for reading material can be so transformative. Whether it is nonfiction textbooks and resource materials, or fantastical novels about faraway places, the endgame is the same: By introducing children to the thrill of reading, you will teach them to develop the confidence and skills necessary to succeed in the world in which they live.
As we previously wrote in an editorial in March 2016, “It shouldn’t just be your responsibility, but your joy, to introduce the practice of reading to your children and equip them with a ticket to imagination, adventure and success.”
We invite all parents to share the joy of reading with their children. For our readers who are not parents or whose children are grown, you can still share the joy of reading by volunteering at your local library or by getting involved in special events like National Read Across America Day.
This year’s National Read Across America Day turned into a weeklong celebration of reading due to a quirk in the calendar. But together, we can make reading something that we celebrate all year round.
