City Park School students get creative for reading celebration

Published 2:00 pm Monday, March 15, 2021

The Cat in the Hat, Dog Man and Spot were just a few of the literary characters walking City Park School’s halls recently.

Students dressed as characters from favored books as part of National Read Across America Day, and though the day has traditionally been associated with Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), since his birthday is March 2, it’s expanded to a general celebration of reading in recent years both nationally and at City Park, said Hannah Talley, the school’s media specialist. “Reading can take you places, and we tell our students they can be authors and illustrators.”

“We encourage them to write their own stories, too, and it’s cool to see their creativity on days like today,” Talley said. “Books are fun, and reading is fun.”

“I like to read, because it helps you learn,” said second-grader Daniela Perez. “My favorite part of today is reading the books.”

With the help of his father and sister, second-grader Henry Huitanda created his own costume, Dog Man, for the protagonist of Dav Pilkey’s comedic graphic novel series, he said. “Dog Man is my favorite character, because he’s funny.”

Perez sported the eminently recognizable oversized, red-and-white-striped headgear of The Cat in the Hat, because that’s her favorite character, and Dr. Seuss is her favorite author, she said. The hat was a birthday present, while her cat sweater was borrowed from one of her sisters.

“I like Dr. Seuss a lot, because he’s funny, tries to make people smile, and helps people learn,” Perez said. “I like The Cat in the Hat because he’s a cat, and I like cats.”

Lauren Cozart’s kindergarteners spent the week reading various Dr. Seuss books, then voting for their favorites in a March Madness college basketball-style bracket, she said. “This really hits home for me, because I’m a huge basketball fan.”

Students also identified their favorite scenes in Dr. Seuss books, then drew them; they crafted “Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss” hats; created books with words from Dr. Seuss books — they “can use word parts (they know) to spell other words, (so) if I can spell ‘house,’ I can spell ‘mouse” — and even snacked on Dr. Seuss-inspired treats, including Swedish Fish, “because we’re reading ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,'” Cozart said. “They love these books because they are fun and engaging.”

“They tend to remember (the content) more when they can attach it to something we’ve done,” she said. “My teachers did that for me, which instilled a lifelong love of reading for fun, not reading just because I’m supposed to read at school.”

“They’re (eager) to read in our groups, which solidifies it for me,” she added. “Phonics is big in kindergarten, (because) without that foundation, higher-level reading in grades one and two is hard for them.”

The National Education Association launched Read Across America Day in 1998 to encourage children to read. It’s since developed into a year-round program, with special celebrations in March.

Other authors Cozart’s kindergarteners studied included Mo Willems, an American writer, animator, voice actor and creator of children’s books, and author/illustrator Eric Carle, she said.

“I tell (my students), ‘You can be an author and illustrator just like them.'”