Let's Get Ready To Read Across America & Celebrate Diversity All Year Long!

One of my favorite literacy events every year is Read Across America.  This wonderful event is sponsored by the NEA and as share on their website, 

Every spring we celebrate Read Across America and finds lots of meaningful ways to celebrate literacy all year long. 

Not only does the NEA to celebrate Read Across American, they invite all of us to join them as we celebrate a nation of diverse readers with these recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that represent an array of experiences and cultures.
                              
If you haven't visited NEA's Read Across America website lately, you are in for a wonderful surprise as it has a new look with lots of amazing resources available to all of us.  I want to show you a few of these in this post. 

One of my favorite resources is the Read Across America Calendar. This yearly calendar has a special calendar for each month,

 which promotes a theme and books around that theme.

For example, in September the theme was Spread Hope and Possibilities so the books of the month for Elementary, Middle School and Teen (found at the top of this page) tie into that theme. 

When you click on Teach This Book, 

it then takes you to more information about the book and ways to apply it in the classroom, questions for discussion or reflective writing,

related teaching topics and more titles to try. 

Each month also lists literacy and reading events that are happening.

If you click on the highlighted words in each event, it will take you to...

...information and the site about the specific event.  For example, check out this United States event, International Literacy Day. 

 The entire 2019-20 year is already up from August 2019 through...

 ...July 2020, which makes it so handy as we plan out our year and collaborate with others within our school and community.

When you click on the 2019-20 Calendar at the top, it gives you the option to view the Digital Calendar or...

...Print Calendar, which makes it easy to display in the library or classroom.  It is beautiful!

I love how you can find the 2018-19 Calendar still which holds lots of ideas and resources too.

You will find that here.

In addition to the Read Across America Calendar, there are lots of other awesome resources included on the site.  You will find....

...Tools and Resources that bring tips for readers to recommended books that showcase diversity and help us create passionate readers. 

Under the Plan a Read Across America Event tab, you will find ideas, tips, the RAE Promotional Event, free books, logos and art.  

There are also resources under the About Read Across America tab from the NEA to support not only this event in March, but literacy in our schools and communities all year long. 

And the last tab, let's browse titles by age and topics bringing us to an important and impactful collection of diverse books for all ages.  You will find it here. 

As you explore this site and take in all of the amazing resources, please visit this article as it shares how NEA's Read Across America Rebrands With New Mission and the new focus on books that tell children of color of of different gender identities that they belong in the world and the world belongs to them. 

That is what every one of us want for our students, libraries and communities and we thank the NEA and Read Across America for helping us get to this place where we can all make a difference.