Decatur County Schools celebrate Read Across America
Published 12:53 pm Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Jackie Jamison Para Pro at HES
Samantha Palmer, Media Specialist at HES with Hutto student
(Left) Brooke Vickers and Katherine Bedwell (Right) 5th grade teachers at HES
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From March 3rd-7th, Media Specialists in Decatur County Schools are celebrating Read Across America Week with various activities. Samantha Palmer of Hutto Elementary stated that Read Across America Week was established by the National Education Association, which aims to “celebrate reading/literacy, cultivate a love of reading, build community, and motivate children to read more,” She continued. “The week is important because we like to build a love of reading for all children so they may become lifelong readers. We teach students how to read and comprehend every day, but this week gives reading a fun spin!”
At HES, students receive a guide detailing different activities for each day:
Monday: “Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Day” – Wear anything Dr. Seuss related.
Tuesday: “Books Boost Your Imagination” – Dress up as your favorite book character.
Wednesday: “Reading Makes You Bright” – Wear neon colors or sunglasses.
Thursday: “Reading is a Piece of Cake” – Dress up as a figurative language.
Friday: “Team Up for Reading” – Wear your favorite sports jersey.
Additionally, 46 volunteers read to different classes, and teachers use the week to participate, read to students, and incorporate many ELA standards, including reading aloud, vocabulary application, thinking aloud, analyzing text, and asking open-ended questions.
Other schools are also celebrating Read Across America Week in unique ways:
Claudia Montague of Bainbridge High School (BHS) explains that while they don’t celebrate Read Across America at the high school level, they promote reading through the “Traveling through Pages” initiative. Every Friday, Montague reads the first chapter of a young adult book aloud in English classes, selecting books from various genres. She shares an anecdote: “Last semester, two students raced to the library to check out the only copy of the book I had read to them that morning. In the spirit of cooperation, they traded the book back and forth each week as they read it.” Montague is excited to see students’ enthusiasm for reading and emphasizes that reading aloud is a powerful motivator—even for teens.
Thomas Clark of Bainbridge Middle School (BMS) mentions that they host the annual Scholastic Book Fair during Read Across America Week, allowing students to browse and purchase books. They also allocate time for Silent Sustained Reading (SSR), where students read independently and quietly for a set period, similar to Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.). Clark notes, “Read Across America is important because it brings communities together nationally to promote literacy.”
Melissa Brock of Jones Wheat Primary School (JWP) states that they celebrate Read Across America with themed dress days related to Dr. Seuss books:
Monday: Wear green
Tuesday: Wear your favorite Hat
Wednesday: Wear crazy socks
Thursday: Wear red or blue
Friday: Wear a college shirt
Brock also engages the community by involving Early Childhood Classes, the Anchor Club, and Key Club high school students, who read to elementary students throughout the week. JWP is trying something new this year with the “Books and Bites” event, where parents bring their lunch and read with their child in the media center or picnic area. Afterward, participants receive an “I Read Today” button.
Amanda Jones of West Bainbridge Primary highlights their similar celebration with themed dress-up days and participation from teachers. A unique feature at West Bainbridge Primary is a special visit from The Cat in the Hat to read to Pre-K students. Jones comments, “By making reading fun and engaging through themed activities and guest readers, we create a school culture that values literacy. At the primary level, we strive to build strong literacy skills to foster a love of reading from an early age and set the foundation for lifelong learning.”
