Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham were hot reads for elementary school students in Regina for Dr. Seuss Reading Day.
The day is celebrated on March 2, which would be the author’s 113th birthday.
About 40 volunteers helped grade one and two students read at Albert Community School.
“It’s important for kids to get the one-on-one attention from role models in the community,” the school’s principal Blair Litzenberger said.
“And I see a lot of volunteers with smiles on their faces too,” he said.
“Some of the statistics are quite staggering for kids coming from a lower socio-economic background,” Litzenberger said.
“The number of hours that kids will read prior to entering kindergarten is about 25, compared to an average of 1,000 to 1,700 hours for those kids with an upper socio-economic background. The difference is quite substantial.”
“Literacy is the key. It’s the key to success in life, and if you aren’t at an acceptable reading level by grade three, all the indicators suggest you fall behind and that’s not fair,” volunteer reader Bob Lane said.
Those who spent time with students said it was a worthwhile experience and brought back many memories.
“I read Dr. Seuss when I was in grade one, and it’s still relevant now, so it’s kind of fun,” volunteer reader Mya Osatiuk said.
“The rhymes, I mean there’s a lot of cleverness in his writing, the repetition of rhymes, the imagery, you know, Dr. Seuss was a master,” Lane said.
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