Celebrate Reading Virtually

For many you may be teaching remotely, so Read Across America can be virtual too! You can still celebrate reading in a virtual world! Remember, NEA's Read Across America Day is Monday, March 2nd. If you're planning an event, MEA is here to help fund your great idea. MEA offers grants, apply for one today. In additional to virtual read alouds and mystery readers, below are some fun ideas to make this year's Read Across America Day exciting and safe, no matter the format.

Host an Author

Deepen student enthusiasm for both reading and writing with a virtual author visit! Many authors and illustrators are offering opportunities for virtual visits with students. These might be short 15-30-minute interactive sessions or up to an hour for longer discussions or activities. Author visits go best when students have read their books in advance and, if appropriate, have prepared questions.

Book Talks

A book talk is just a short presentation about an awesome book to get readers excited and interested in it. You can record yourself or give a live book talk or ask your school or public librarian to offer virtual book talks. You can also have students give book talks. That way students get to learn what their fellow students enjoy reading. Book talks work best when they can be conversational, with questions asked and answered. Slides can also be developed and used to add visual interest and help provide structure.

Reading Drive In

Invite families to a physically distanced evening out of reading fun! As members of your community read aloud a variety of diverse books, live stream their read alouds on a large screen set up in the school or community center parking lot for families to enjoy from their vehicles. Have readers use props, costumes, music, or interesting virtual backdrops to make the stories come alive for your audience.

Slide Parties

A Slide Party happens when students prepare a slide presentation (Google Slides; PowerPoint) on a topic of their choice and share it with others on a videochat platform. Slides can be about a lot of things— students can create slides to introduce themselves, share interests, make a comic, teach others about something they are passionate about, or talk about a favorite book, series, or character in detail. Host a Read Across America Slide Party focused on sharing favorite books or favorite book characters.

StoryWalk

StoryWalk is a fun, physically-distanced activity that places a children’s story—a deconstructed book, page by page—along a walking route in your community.

To make a StoryWalk, you’ll need two copies of a book. Mount each page spread on cardstock and laminate with a heavy weight lamination. You should also create a “Welcome” page that explains how the StoryWalk works and includes the front cover of the book. Depending on where you set up your Read Across America StoryWalk (library or school grounds, park, trails, or storefront windows along main street), you’ll also need wooden stakes for each laminated page spread and heavy duty adhesive-backed Velcro to attach them. Window installations can be secured using suction cups with clips or removable wall-safe tape.

Your StoryWalk could also feature student writing, photography, and artwork rather than published works. Find more StoryWalk ideas and how-tos at Let’s Move in Libraries.

Reading Obstacle Course

Book fun, physical activity, and physical distancing all in one! Take advantage of empty parking lots or sidewalks and chalk up (or paint, duct tape) a path that gets kids hopping, jumping, spinning, balancing, marching, dancing, and zigzagging. Your chalk walk could include a variety of steps and directions based on literary references from fairy tales or folk tales, like Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters; be focused around books that really move, such as Barnyard Dance or We’re Going on a Bear Hunt; or be an inspired interpretation of a title like Firebird or Jabari Jumps.

Need Funding for a Reading Event? MEA Can Help!

NEA’s Read Across America will take place on Monday, March 2, 2021!

To help plan and prepare for a reading celebration, MEA is offering Read Across America Incentive Grants to our local associations who sponsor association activities for this event. Grants of $50 each will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests must be made by the local association President for funding of activities within the local association.

GRANT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Apply for grants on the MEA website at maineea.org