On Friday, March 2, 2018, guest readers visited the classrooms of 12 school districts across Trumbull County to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday as part of United Way of Trumbull County's Read 4 Fun program. The day brought many laughs and smiles from students as guest readers read Dr. Seuss books to make reading fun.
Read 4 Fun is an interactive program held in the spring and fall as part of the United Way of Trumbull County Reading Great by 8 Literacy Initiative. This initiative includes three programs each designed to increase the number of Trumbull County children reading at grade level by the third grade with an emphasis on children from low-to-moderate income families. Read 4 Fun is designed to teach students that reading is not only for learning, but also for fun. The program is designed to build confidence and creativity through unique learning experiences and decrease the risk of students dropping out of high school by engaging them during critical learning stages.
It has been noted by principals and teachers of participating school districts that students enjoy engaging with outside guest readers. According to a study done on America's early childhood crisis, "America's Early Childhood", research proves that when adults read to children, discuss story content, ask open-ended questions about story events, and point out features of print, they provide increased language development, comprehension of story content, knowledge of story structure and a better understanding of language - all which lead to literacy success! Having an outside guest reader come to the schools allows for new engagement and learning opportunities for students. Our guest readers take the time to ask the students questions to further teach them the life lessons found within each Dr. Seuss book.
Research also shows that students who are more engaged in their education are more likely to graduate high school. The process of dropping out begins with loss of interest and motivation in middle school, which is why our Read 4 Fun program engages students at an early stage of reading to help ignite motivation and to make reading a fun experience that they can cherish for years to come. We thank our wonderful guest readers and participating schools for being a part of our Read 4 Fun literacy program.
Due to recent weather conditions, six additional school districts will celebrate Dr. Seuss Day throughout the month of March, making it a total of 18 school districts (242 classrooms) participating in this year's Read 4 Fun program.
