Reading Rockets

Today — March 2nd — is Read Across America Day! It's a day to celebrate the joy of books and reading and learning together. Reading is a social activity!

Visit to explore NEA’s resources and ideas to help you plan a meaningful celebration with the children in your life. You'll find the Read Across America calendar, with book themes and selected titles for each month. In March, our books champion kindness — where everyone can feel seen, valued, and included.

https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america

In the cloud-wrapped mountains of northern Vietnam, Launa Hall explores how young Hmong children are learning to read in Vietnamese — and how early literacy is shaping futures in this remote village.

Learning to Read Around the World: Vietnam

Magic Tree House author Mary Pope Osborne offers a lyrical meditation on the quiet companions that are with us through every chapter of life.

Where the Trees Take You

Learn the common terminology of reading research and how to gauge if a strategy or intervention can be implemented in your classroom with fidelity and a measurable effect on your students’ learning.

A Classroom Teachers’ Guide to Reading Research Learn the common terminology of reading research and how to gauge if a strategy or intervention can be implemented in your classroom with fidelity and a measurable effect on your students’ learning.

Read a Tree ...

Poetic picture book author Dianne White invites readers to slow down, look closely, and rediscover trees as unique sources of beauty, inspiration, and story waiting to be seen.

https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/book-life/read-tree

Recent research has found that the schools with the greatest achievement gains teach with grade-level texts, rather than instructional level texts.

Read the latest post from literacy expert Tim Shanahan.

Rejecting Instructional Level Theory Recent research has found that the schools with the greatest achievement gains teach with grade-level texts, rather than instructional level texts.

Celebrate National Wildlife Day by learning about some amazing animals and the habitats they live in. These free activity kits combine great kids’ books with hands-on activities:

Bird Buddies: https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science/bird-buddies-book-based-science-adventure

Bug Buddies: https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science/bug-buddies-book-based-steam-adventure

River Rangers: https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science/river-rangers-book-based-science-adventure

Tree Trekkers: https://www.startwithabook.org/tree-trekkers-book-based-steam-adventure

Bird Buddies! A Book-Based STEAM Adventure Our STEAM-focused summer and out-of-school-time program is all about birds and birding in your community! How much we can all learn when we stop to look and listen! And what better way to spend a summer day or several than outside learning all about birds — from the connection between birds and di...

Tips for Keeping a Writer’s Notebook

Find out why it’s a good idea for young aspiring writers to keep a journal, and get practical tips on journal writing from children’s author and writing coach Mary Amato. She says, don’t forget to bring a writing journal everywhere you go!

Mary Amato’s Tips for Keeping a Writer’s Notebook Find out why it’s a good idea for young aspiring writers to keep a journal, and get practical tips on journal writing from children’s author and writing coach Mary Amato. She says, don’t forget to bring a writing journal everywhere you go!

Give kids a chance to exercise different writing muscles — from poetry to persuasive writing. We’ve put together a number of fun, simple writing activities to do with your child or as a group activity with friends and neighbors.

Writing Ideas for Kids What you'll find here: Nature Journals Poetry Fun Recipe Share Review It! Explain It! Write Like a Journalist Write to Your Favorite Author Tips for Helping Young Writers Nature journals Science and math explorations provide your child with a chance to record all kinds of observations. Help your chi...

Celebrate Our Bug Friends!

June 16-22 is Pollinator Week all across the country. Learn about the crucial role that bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators play in our natural world with Bug Buddies.

In our free activity kit, you’ll find recommendations for great fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books, videos, apps, and hands-on activities to guide kids’ exploration of insects and their role in sustaining healthy ecosystems and lots of the foods we enjoy around our family table.

https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science/bug-buddies-book-based-steam-adventure

On Juneteenth, families across the country celebrate “Freedom Day” with community gatherings, parades, freedom walks, festivals — and sharing stories together. Celebrate Juneteenth with some of our favorite picture books!

Freedom Day: Celebrating Juneteenth The Emancipation Proclamation — that all enslaved people in Confederate states be freed — was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, but it took two and a half years for the news of freedom to reach everywhere. Juneteenth (June 19th) commemorates the day that federal troops finally arrived...

Award-winning author Laura Gehl reflects on trees with personal stories and simple ways to help kids — and parents — find calm and connection through time spent in nature.
https://www.startwithabook.org/blog/made-shade