Students Celebrate Reading With Green Eggs and Ham

Green eggs and ham anyone?

Today students throughout Lacey Township celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday through Read Across America, the National Education Association’s (NEA) annual reading motivation and awareness program.

“Good reading skills are a long-term investment in a student’s success,” NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said. “NEA’s Read Across America brings students, parents, educators and the entire community together to share the joy of reading. NEA provides tools, resources and tips for parents and educators that make reading a fun and enjoyable experience so kids will keep turning pages.” 

Children in the Lanoka Harbor Elementary School wore their hand-made red and white striped Dr. Seuss hats as they participated in various activities.

According to Lanoka Harbor Elementary School Principal Rosemarie Bond, Read Across America is just one of the many days the school encourages reading. Bond said literacy is celebrated throughout the year.

Some classes had parents and siblings visit to read Dr. Seuss books and others will create their own rhyming stories. Some participated in Dr. Seuss themed crafts including making green eggs and ham.

Students read the NEA’s reader’s oath stating, “I promise to read each day and each night. I know it’s the key to growing up right…”

Classes also incorporated Dr. Seuss in their math problems:

I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am. You do not like them, so do you say. “Have you tried 24 blueberry pancakes with 48 dollops of dream whip on top of 32 green eggs and 16 ham chunks altogether,” I asked. If you round these to the nearest ten and add these together, how many things would you be eating?*

Later, former Lacey Township teachers Eileen Tranz and Barbara Corbett will pay Lanoka Harbor Elementary School classes a visit. Tranz was a kindergarten teacher for over 30 years while Corbett was a first grade teacher and a reading specialist.

The NEA established Read Across America in May 1997 to motivate students to read. According to the NEA, research has shown that children who spend more time reading do better in school.

“NEA’s Read Across America has become an annual tradition in schools and communities in every state across the country. What began as a few reading parties 14 years ago has grown into a huge national literacy event,” Van Roekel said. “While we take a fun and lighthearted approach to our Read Across America celebrations, we do so with a serious purpose in mind: to encourage a love of reading. As educators, we know that students who read—and are read to—do better in school and in life.”

Dr. Seuss first children’s book, “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” was published in 1937. Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 books and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards.

*You would be eating approximately 120 items including blueberry pancakes with dollops of dream whip on top of green eggs and ham chunks altogether.