reading – Don't Gel Too Soon

Read Across America, Dr. Seuss, and Snow Days

This photo is on my friend Leticia's wonderful blog Tech Savvy Mama. Why? Today is the birthday of the wonderful Theodor Seuss Geisel , known to all of us as Dr. Seuss. For twelve years now, the week of Dr. Seuss's birthday ( he was born in 1904) has been "Read Across America" week, which uses Geisel's beloved books to encourage reading and a love of books.

Leticia has a wonderful set of resources for activities, books, games and teacher support for any who want to make the most of this very smart holiday. Everyone from the National Education Association, which initiated the effort, to Reading Rockets to You Tube boasts special features. Leticia even has a link to free digital book downloads!

So for heaven's sake, send every kid you know a Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss email or call them and sing happy birthday with them. Even better, hit Tech Savvy Mama and use some of the dozens of great ideas to share some quality time with them.

Oh, and, in case you forgot, here's a list of the amazing works of this remarkable man, from the Seussville website:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas Anniversary Edition

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins I remember this one from when I was, literally, a little girl.

And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street

Bartholomew and the Oobleck Loved this one too.

The Butter Battle Book

Cat In The Hat French

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back

The Cat in the Hat Mischief personified.

Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Dr. Seuss's ABC

Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book

The Foot Book

Fox in Socks

Great Day for Up!

Green Eggs and Ham Great baby present for kids named Sam, except they get so many of them!

Happy Birthday to You!

Hooper Humperdink…? Not Him!

Hop on Pop

Horton Hatches the Egg My second most favorite. "An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent."

Horton Hears a Who!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!

I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!

The Lorax My MOST favorite (and my kids loved it) "I am the Lorax I speak for the trees."

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!

McElligot's Pool

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!

Oh, Say Can You Say?

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

On Beyond Zebra!

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

The Sneetches and Other Stories

There's a Wocket in My Pocket

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

The Tooth Book

Wacky Wednesday

What Was I Scared Of?

Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?

Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Anniversary Edition

Yertle the Turtle

You're Only Old Once!

The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary

The Boy on Fairfield Street

The Road to Oz

The Eye Book

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!

The Red Lemon

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss. And happy Read Across America Week to all the rest of us.

THE STORY ELANA (3 years old) TOLD ME AT THE BEACH

The three bears went for a walk and there was a little girl and her name was Goldilocks from all the dolls and they went for walk and they walked and walked (dancing walk demonstrated here) and then she sit on one of the chairs and it was too hard. And then she tried the medium one and it was too slowwww and then she found the baby one and she rocked and rocked and rocked and she fell down and the chair broke. And her tushie got hurt so she needed to go in bed And she walked and walked up the stairs and then they did something and then she ate her porridge and then she "this bed was too hard" and then "that bed was medium" and "this bed was just right." And the three bears went home and said "who has been eating my porridge?" And the Poppa said (very loud deep voice, with facial expressions to match) "WHO’S BEEN EATING MY PORRIDGE?" Then Poppa Bear said "WHO’S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?" and then Baby Bear said "THERE SHE IS NOW!!!" and she left her shoes and ran away. And she also…..

Dad can I go outside???

(NOTE: Elana woke up early Sunday and she and I were visiting and looking out at the ocean while I worked on my computer. As Elana was leaning over my laptop in great interest her father came upstairs and suggested she "tell Cindy a story and maybe she’ll put it on her blog." So she did. And I did.)

1.0 – Redux

REPOSTING FROM VOX

I’ve been promising to do this for a long time; this is the first post and a bit unnerving. I’m thinking lots of things at once. That I read today that 2/3rds of DC residents on welfare read only at the 5th grade level at best. Earlier I’d read that six in 10 adults in DC can’t read beyond a 4th grade level. What are we DOING???

At the same time, reports tell us sexy music might make kids have more sex (surprised, anyone?),and that fact gets geometrically more attention that this reading and education crisis. I don’t understand why no one cares — we are losing our international leadership position because those emerging from our schools don’t measure up to our economic competitors. Never mind the politicization of science and the exodus of scientific researchers to more enlightened countries.

OK so I sound cranky. And I didn’t really begin this blog to talk about the state of American education – even though it does obsess me. But it’s just so sad! I grew up in a milltown and went to a “culturally deprived” high school. We had all kinds of enrichment, we had plenty of AP classes and amazing teachers. As far as I can tell lots of that has stopped. This country can provide excellent education, it just isn’t doing so. I went to Russia in 1991 to produce a tv show and the advanced kids there were reading Jane Austen in THE TENTH GRADE!! IN ENGLISH!!! Holy cow.