In celebration of the National Education Association's "ReadAcross America" Day, Ball State students will teach literacy skillsto local elementary students, all with the help of Dr. Seuss.
Several students from the Student Education Association andStudent Voluntary Services will celebrate Seuss's 100th birthday,which was Tuesday, during a children's activity fair at 5:45 p.m.today at Washington-Carver Elementary School.
"I don't think there's anybody out there who sounds like Seuss,"said junior Rachel Birt, Student Education Association president."There's so much to say about his writing. He's had a great impacton society."
Started in 1998, "Read Across America" is now the nation'slargest reading event and is a year-round program that culminatesaround Seuss' birthday.
After holding the event at Garfield Elementary School for thepast two years, both organizations decided to adoptWashington-Carver Elementary School this year to teach children ina different area of Muncie the importance of reading, Birtsaid.
She said Washington-Carver is in one of the less prosperousareas of the city.
"There's a really big movement in Muncie to help children withliteracy problems to get them up to grade level," Birt said.
During the fair, Ball State students will be hosting 16different activity booths loosely based on Dr. Seuss books. Forexample, Birt said one booth called "Hop on Pop" will allowchildren to play a Simon Says game, which this time will be called"Seuss Says."
The Cat in the Hat will also be reading books to children andtaking pictures. At the same time, AmeriCorps members from StudentVoluntary Services will be running parent workshops to informparents about the importance of reading to their children, Birtsaid.
Rachel Sherck, full-time AmeriCorps member and program assistantin the Office of Leadership and Service Learning, said theorganization will also hand out at least 50 free books toparents.
"We're trying to make books available in the home," she said."We're encouraging parents to model reading, whether throughmagazines or books. If a parent doesn't enjoy reading, it's hardfor the children to enjoy reading."
Birt said one of their big focuses is to bring reading intochildren's lives in a fun and enjoyable way.
"Reading's not always fun in school, and (students) walk awaywithout the desire to read on their own," she said. "We're justtrying to make reading appealing to the children so that they wantto read."
Sherck said she hopes Ball State students will also benefit fromthe reading activity.
The fair will allow Ball State students to understand the valueof the opportunity they have to go to college, she said.
"I hope students will see how some children haven't been raisedin homes where reading was important, and they'll place moreimportance on that," Sherck said.
Any student who is interested in participating in the fair cancontact the Student Voluntary Services office at 285-1094.
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