As we reach into the past, we can all recall those special moments when our mom, dad, or a beloved babysitter would read us a bedtime story. Perhaps it was during cozy cuddle time with grandma or grandpa. With their silly voices, those grown-ups transformed into friendly bears, easing our fears or making us giggle with joy. That’s the magic of saying, “Read me a story!” Now, with Read Across America—a wonderful weeklong celebration of reading—it’s the perfect time to share a book (or two) with your little ones.
This is significant achievement! Encouraging kids to read is one of the most impactful ways we can contribute to their success across various areas. Plus, it’s easier than you might think—it doesn’t require much time, money, or effort at all.
Just look at the data: PBS Kids for Parents reports, “The most powerful ways to develop children’s literacy skills are also the simplest: talk to them, listen to them, read to them, and write with them.” Read Across America similarly notes that “When people make the time to read with children, children get the message that reading is important.”
The importance of Read Across America
Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA), Read Across America is our nation’s largest celebration of reading and a fun, event-driven way to encourage kids to read. It begins with Read Across America Day, celebrated March 2, on Dr. Seuss’ birthday. However, the event increasingly aims to promote diverse books for kids – books that “provide both windows and mirrors” for all children. Some Frequently Asked Questions include the event’s history, a link to free classroom materials, a link to low-cost merch for the classroom, Read Across America Activities, and more.
Parents, teachers, and caregivers all play an essential role in fostering early literacy. In turn, early literacy plays a huge role in child development. Reading helps expand vocabulary, develop empathy and kindness toward others, build critical thinking and problem-solving skills, spark imagination, and increase academic success.
How to promote reading with kids
Kids are such great imitators! When they see their parents flipping through books, it sparks their curiosity. You can make it even more fun by inviting them to "help” you read and explore what you're looking at together. Just imagine sitting side by side, sharing a cozy moment with each of you lost in your book.
Here are some other ideas to enhance this special reading time together and in the classroom:
- Set aside a specific space for reading
- Be sure the lighting is good
- Create some comfy seating options
- Make it cheerful and inviting but not distracting or overstimulating
- Put in bookshelves and/or baskets with print books, even if combining digital reads
Seeing books as familiar friends helps a love of reading take root. Babies and toddlers begin with cloth books and board books. Preschoolers and kindergartners begin learning the parts of books: title, front cover, spine, and back cover. They will quickly learn that authors write the words in a book and illustrators make the pictures. School Zone’s Anywhere Teacher learning app for kids 2-8 has multiple activities that teach about books, as well as dozens of storybooks and non-fiction books. Of course, reading, like any skill, has steps and stages. Preschoolers need to develop reading readiness skills before learning to read for themselves. These reading readiness skills include:
- recognizing letters of the alphabet and their names and sounds
- understanding how books work (i.e., text flow from left to right), recognizing letter sounds in words
- listening to, comprehending, and answering questions about what’s read
Reading readiness resources from School Zone:
School Zone offers a wide range of get-ready-to-read tools specifically formulated to inspire young readers and help parents and educators support learning to read. These include:
- Reading Readiness K-1 Workbook
- Get Ready Flash Cards Alphabet & Numbers (2-Pack)
- Get Ready Preschool Playset – with materials to help little ones learn the alphabet, numbers 1-12, colors, shapes, beginning sounds, matching, categorizing, and much more.
- Jaz’s Preschool Learning Pack
- Oba’s Kindergarten Learning Pack
- Lily’s Playtime Learning Pack – each features a character from the Charlie Company series and delivers lots of great games and activities, along with a pair of books (one fiction and one non-fiction) in each.
- Animal Alphabet Pop-Up Flash Cards – Each letter connects with an animal, and the front shows the uppercase and lowercase letters. On the inside, friendly pop-up animals teach beginning sounds, and on the back, kids are asked to find three things in a scene that start with the letter, for example, an anteater, ants, and an apple.
- Bedtime Alphabet Light-Up Learning Cards – at night an enclosed flashlight makes the cards’ cut-out letters and critters dance on walls and ceilings, and by day, they serve as stencils. What fun, clever ways to learn and reinforce ABCs!
Once kids start their reading journey, books from School Zone’s 3-level Start to Read!® series, with relatable themes and fun illustrations, make perfect companions for building skills and confidence.
Workbooks focused on reading can also be helpful. School Zone’s Big Kindergarten Workbook, available in a traditional or spiral-bound format, is packed with colorful, creative practice in early math and reading skills. Bold, bright colors and illustrations create curiosity and maximize motivation. Combining books, workbooks, and flash cards adds variety to kids’ reading journey.
Discover or re-discover must-read children’s books
Hundreds of thousands of children’s books (or even more) are published yearly. While new treasures continually emerge, the best books for young learners often stand the test of time. Books become classics because of their enduring charm and sound educational value.
Below are a few different subcategories of top books for early readers. Encourage a lifelong love of reading with these must-reads for kids!
Classic Picture Books That Build Early Literacy
Picture books use illustrations to help children understand the meaning of words in the story, with words relying on rhyme, rhythm, and repetition to support language development and early literacy.
Recommended books:
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle – A board book with a caterpillar that munches its way to becoming a butterfly
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. – A board book that helps teach colors, feelings, and animals
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault – A board book featuring alphabet letters that race each other up a coconut tree
Books That Spark Imagination and Curiosity
The best children’s books encourage creativity and impart lessons through storytelling.
Recommended books:
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff – A story that helps teach cause and effect, actions and consequences, actions and reactions
- Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin – One in a series, this helps teach colors in a super cute way
- Press Here by Hervé Tullet – An interactive book that helps teach counting, colors, directions, sequences, patterns, and more.
Diverse & Inclusive Stories
The importance of representation in children’s literature—the ability to see characters that look and sound like the reader—cannot be overestimated.
Recommended books:
- Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña – A story about a boy and his grandma that celebrate and teaches empathy, kindness, gratitude and joy.
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi – When a little girl thinks her name is too hard for other kids to pronounce, she considers changing it until a new friend convinces her to think differently.
- All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold – A story about a school where kids from different backgrounds “learn from and celebrate each other’s traditions.”
Books That Teach Life Lessons & Social Skills
One of the many benefits of reading is that stories can help children navigate emotions and relationships. The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, in “Why Do Kids Need Books?” notes, “Books let kids try on the world before they have to go out into it.” Asking kids questions like “What would you do?” or “How would you feel if?” in the situation deepens the learning.
Recommended books:
- National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why – Answers common kid questions
- ABC Science Book (STEAM Baby for Infants and Toddlers) by Anjali Joshi – Provides early introduction to science concepts
- The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen – A board book about understanding emotions and feelings
On a related note, School Zone’s Big Science 2-3 Workbook has fun, interactive lessons for introducing young learners to STEM concepts, and it’s available in both traditional and spiral-bound formats.
Find fun ways to celebrate Read Across America
Read Across America is, first and foremost, about getting kids reading. But that can be more than just opening a book. Important as that is, here are a few additional ideas:
- Reading challenges – Set reading goals for kids
- Themed reading days – Adventure, animals, classics, and more
- Book character dress-up day – Kids dress as favorite book characters
- Storytime activities – Drawing, acting out scenes, and interactive discussions
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Incorporate School Zone’s workbooks, flash cards, and learning apps into daily reading routines to reinforce literacy skills
Early reading matters. Developing a love of reading produces lifetime benefits, and participating in Read Across America is one way for parents and educators to encourage that love of reading. Also, explore School Zone Publishing’s educational books, workbooks, and learning tools collection. Show kids that reading is an adventure with lots of paths!
