May 7, 2013

May is GET CAUGHT READING Month!

This month, people all around the United States are celebrating the joy of reading during Get Caught Reading Month. Initiated in 1999 by former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder and endorsed by the Association of American Publishers, the Get Caught Reading campaign is supported by celebrities, public figures, teachers, librarians, and booksellers who recognize the value of reading. According to the Get Caught Reading website, research shows that “early language experience actually stimulates a child's brain to grow and that reading to children gives them a huge advantage when they start school.” Through the Get Caught Reading initiative, they “hope to encourage people of all ages to enjoy books and magazines and to share that pleasure with the young children in their lives.”

A great way for teachers and parents to celebrate Get Caught Reading Month with kids is to snap pictures of them reading in various locations and create a fun display or bulletin board showcasing these photos. Kids can also write short summaries of their favorite books to be displayed in a prominent location at school or at home, encouraging others to read their favorites (this is a good way to encourage kids to read in different genres than they are used to reading). When I taught third grade, my students had a daily D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time. D.E.A.R. time is a fun way to celebrate reading at home or at school, especially when completely unexpected and spontaneous. I am definitely going to try this with my boys at home this month!

There are also many great resources around the web to help celebrate reading, this month and every other month (because shouldn’t we celebrate reading every single day??). Here are a just few great resources that I found online:

http://www.getcaughtreading.org/teachers-librarians.php 

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/caught-reading-month-20650.html 

http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/november/reading.html

Happy Get Caught Reading Month, and (of course) Happy Writing!
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6 comments:

  1. Ruth SchiffmannMay 7, 2013 at 1:16 PM

    Thanks for the info. I hadn't heard of Get Caught Reading Month before.
    Happy reading and writing back atch ;)

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  2. Mirka BreenMay 7, 2013 at 1:25 PM

    Oh, Boy. I can relate to this. I need to get caught up on reading, and my pile will take a lot longer than a month. But you've got to start somewhere.

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    Replies
    1. Becky ShillingtonMay 10, 2013 at 8:30 AM

      That's right, Mirka--remember that old saying, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

      Delete
  3. Leandra WallaceMay 7, 2013 at 9:29 PM

    I hadn't heard of Get Caught Reading, so that was nice, thx. I was glad to see the part about expanding a child's brain- I've read to my 1 yr. old ever since he was an infant. Now, he does super good w/turning the pages for me. He's more interested in that than what's on the pages, but like Mirka said- you've gotta start somewhere! =)

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    Replies
    1. Becky ShillingtonMay 10, 2013 at 8:31 AM

      That is wonderful, Leandra! I started reading to my boys from the beginning, too, and started chapter books with them when they were 4 (we started with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and they listened!!). Now they both love reading almost as much as I do! = )

      Delete

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