Read Across America

On March 1 people across the United States will “read across America.” The celebration focuses on reading that reflects the uniqueness of each state in the country. Your family can join in the fun. Even if you don’t make it on that day, remember that you can read across American EVERY day.

CONNECT:

The National Education Association, who started this celebration in 1998, offers resources and activities to enjoy: http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm

One of the inspirations for “Read Across America” is Dr. Seuss, whose birthday is March 2. Salute Dr. Seuss with some of the activities mentioned at http://www.seussville.com/activities/RAA13_EduKit_Booklet_WEB.pdf

Watch prior Read Across America celebrations at http://www.readacrossamerica.org/?page_id=38

Love to travel but don’t have the money or the time? Here’s a way to travel across America by reading about all of the 50 states: http://www.nea.org/grants/50-state-booklist.html

What are some award-winning books to read for this occasion? First Book Marketplace has some great suggestions: http://www.fbmarketplace.org/

Want to hear what families say about about books for young readers? Listen to these podcasts: http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/podcast-series/chatting-about-books-recommendations-30130.html. There’s txting about teen readings too: http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/podcast-series/text-messages-recommendations-adolescent-30214.html

CREATE:

Even if someone in your family can’t read, there are always wordless books. Find out how to share one at http://vimeo.com/17817448 

Cook up some Seussical recipes: http://www.nea.org/grants/Seuss-inspired-recipes.htm

You can follow great reads at Google Lit Trips: http://googlelittrips.org/. You might try planning your own literacy trip using these tools.

Each state has its own reading awards. The list is found at http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/awards/stateawards.html.  Find out what’s being nominated in your state, and read those books. You might be able to vote to the winning one!

CARE:

Start reading at home. Even if your child is a baby, the experience of reading aloud to that baby in your lap sets up an atmosphere of love and literacy. Here are some more keys to helpin a child become a good reader: http://www.cta.org/raa

Reach Out and Read (http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/awards/stateawards.html)is a project that uses volunteers to help provide literacy-rich doctors’ literacy-rich waiting rooms. Family can help by reading aloud to children as well as donating gently used reading materials and furniture.

Like to read aloud? LibriVox volunteers read and record chapters of books in the public domain, and make them available for free on the Internet. Check out details and register at http://librivox.org/volunteer-for-librivox/

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) motivates children to read, and there are many ways to volunteer and donate. Check out the options at http://www.rif.org/us/get-involved/volunteer.htm

CAREER:

Almost all careers involve reading. If you like to read, here are some good career starters: librarain, writer, editor, publisher, teacher, historian, lawyer.

http://www.bls.gov/k12/reading.htm

http://education-portal.com/articles/Careers_for_Reading_Lovers.html

http://careers.collegetoolkit.com/career-search/criteria/skills/readingcomprehension.aspx

What's the Problem?

We encounter problems every day throughout our lives. And we usually cannot wish them away. If it’s the same problem we’ve solved before, then we can solve it the same way – or maybe we can think of a better solution. Different problems sometimes require different ways to address them. The following activities look at a variety of kinds of problems and ways to solve them – using technology. You’ll find that they can be fun to do – and can help you with those real-life problems that seemed impossible to solve before.

CONNECT:
•    Engineers often use design briefs as a systematic way to define and solve a problem. Read about this approach at http://www.technologystudent.com/designpro/problem1.htm. Think about your home; can you apply a design brief to solve a problem there?   
•    What is computational thinking? Think with and outside this interactive student’s box to find out: http://www.iste.org/Files/CT-animation_student.swf
•    Sometimes making ideas explode is a good idea. See how problem-solving techniques can result in a great fireworks display: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/multimedia/series/AEMicrosites/art-of-the-explosion.aspx
•    How do inventors solve problems? Watch this video about Thomas Edison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgt9NCSqCjI. You can search for lots of inventors at http://web.mit.edu/invent/i-archive.html. This site also has fun interactive games about inventions: http://web.mit.edu/invent/g-main.html
•    Have you ever invented something? What would it take to get a patent for it? Find out at http://web.mit.edu/invent/h-main.html

CREATE:
•    Can you link art, baseball, and problem-solving? ArtsEdge can help you do that. Try their activity at: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons/grade-3-4/All_Around_The_Baseball_Field.aspx
•    A math problem a day keeps the dead brain cells away. Choose from over 100 activities, listed by grade: http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx/ Here’s one to start with (and you’ll learn some programming techniques!): http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=83
•    How about systems thinking? Break it down! In this interactive simulation: http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/filer/2011/10/07/breakitdown.swf  (here is the teacher’s guide to this activity: http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/break-it-down/)
•    Play with ideas! Learn how inventors problem solve by playing these games: http://sciencenetlinks.com/tools/invention-at-play/
•    Try your hand at experimenting. Jefferson labs links to many hands-on and online activities: http://education.jlab.org/indexpages/teachers.html

CARE:
•    Closely related to design briefs is design thinking: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/design-thinking-betty-ray. This article refers to the Big Ideas Fest: http://www.bigideasfest.org/ Most of these Big Ideas improve the community. Do you see any Big Idea that you might adapt  to solve a problem in your own community?
•    Can kids solve community problems? YES! Get inspired by reading what these teens did: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/09/pathways-to-research-problem-solving/
•    Want to help map your community to help solve geographic problems? Find out how to participate at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/community-maps-program/ If you get hooked on Geographic Information Systems, go to http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech186.shtml for lots of cool projects.
•    The KIDS Model promotes service learning and youth engagement to help the community. There are several projects for different ages to choose from. Maybe your family can adopt one: http://www.kidsconsortium.org/kidsmodel.php
•    Thinking about your future? Futures problem solving tries to think ahead so your world will be a better place to live. Find out how this approach is done worldwide at  http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_d/mod25.html

CAREERS:
•    Do you like to solve problems? Every job entails problem solving, but some jobs really focus on this kind of activity. Find out about some of those jobs at
http://careerthoughts.com/jobs-solving-problems
http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/careers-for-people-who-like-to-problem-solve/
•    The following site explains the benefits of learning how to problem solve in your job: http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/skills-and-competencies/300766-problem-solving-the-mark-of-an-independent-employee