ReadWriteThink: March 2, 2009: Read Across America Day celebrates Dr. Seuss.

March 2, 2009

		Better known to most readers as Dr. Seuss, Dr. Theodor Geisel was born over 100 years ago today. Mark his birthday with NEA’s Read Across America, the largest reading event in the United States, by celebrating with read-aloud, read-along, and reading marathon activities.

Read Across America Day celebrates Dr. Seuss.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

Dr. Seuss changed the landscape of children’s books with his controlled-vocabulary tales of antic cats (The Cat in the Hat), colorful meals (Green Eggs and Ham), and dozens of other zany tales.

When Dr. Seuss set out to write The Cat in the Hat, he wanted to write a story that used simple, mostly monosyllabic words that readers could readily comprehend. His use of the patterned, rhyming text has become the foundation for many controlled-vocabulary texts for young readers.

After sharing The Cat in the Hat and some other patterned books with students, divide the class into groups and ask them to brainstorm sets of words which rhyme with snake. Then, once the lists are compiled, students can create a story about the snake and its adventures (perhaps The Snake in the Cake?). These stories can be illustrated and shared with elementary school students. See the NEA Read Across America site for more ideas.

Lesson Plans

Dr. Seuss’s Sound Words: Playing with Phonics and Spelling
This lesson plan, intended for primary grades, uses words from Dr. Seuss’s Mr. Brown Can MOO! Can You? Using these words, students develop spelling strategies that help them move from phonemes to graphemes.

Reading Everywhere with Dr. Seuss
This lesson has students in grades K–2 create a book modeled on the rhythm and rhyme of Green Eggs and Ham.

Seuss and Silverstein: Posing Questions, Presenting Points
High school students read books or short stories by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. They then prepare critical thinking questions and discuss the issues raised in the story.

Teaching Short Vowel Discrimination Using Dr. Seuss Rhymes
In this lesson, primary students discover patterns in words, sort words based on their vowel patterns, and apply their knowledge in reading and writing activities.

Web Links

Dr. Seuss Went to War
This special collection from the University of California contains the political cartoons of Theodor Geisel.

The Advertising Artwork of Dr. Seuss
The Dr. Seuss Collection, housed at the Mandeville Special Collections Library at the University of California, San Diego, contains many examples of Dr. Seuss’s advertising artwork.

NEA’s Read Across America—Building a Nation of Readers
NEA’s Read Across America website offers ideas, information, and inspiration—everything you need to plan a reading event to celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss’s birthday.

Seussville
Celebrate Dr. Seuss with a visit to this site where students can explore various aspects of Geisel’s work and career. A variety of games and activities, and information about favorite Seuss characters such as the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch are also included.

Texts

Seuss, Dr. 2003. The Cat in the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites. Listening Library.
This audio CD features famous voices, including Kelsey Grammer, Dustin Hoffman, and John Cleese, reading nine Seuss favorites.

Seuss, Dr. 1990. Oh, the Places You’ll Go. Random House.
This picture book explores more than issues of childhood—it discusses how to proceed along life’s path when times get tough. Frequently given as a graduation present, the text can inspire students to create plans for their future.

Weidt, Maryanne. 1995. Oh, the Places He Went: A Story about Dr. Seuss. Carolrhoda Books.
This Dr. Seuss biography tells the story of how the artist and writer came to write children’s books. Appropriate for grades 3–5, the book could also be a read-aloud for younger students interested in Dr. Seuss.