Welcome back to school! Believe it or not, it’s already time to start thinking about your Read Across New Jersey plans for the year in support of the National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America program.
Gather your favorite books and join the nationwide celebration of reading. Read Across America aims to build a nation of diverse readers and offers opportunities for involvement in children’s reading throughout the year. The year-round program can fit reading fun into any educator’s calendar and includes celebrations of reading on
March 2 and throughout National Reading Month in March.
When you read, there’s no place you can’t go! The titles and resources featured by NEA’s Read Across America and NJEA’s Read Across-NJ programs strive to include books that students can see themselves reflected in.
Pride in Public Education funding for RANJ
Using the NJEA Pride portal, found at njea.org/pride, local presidents and Pride chairs may submit their grant applications. Grants will be $500 each and local associations are encouraged to think outside of the box to lift literacy in their communities. Local associations are encouraged to work collaboratively when sharing a community, but each local must submit its own grant application. The RANJ grant may not be used for promotional items but may be used for food or related costs in engaging members, students, families and community. Check out the Pride portal for important deadlines associated with the grants.
Some ideas may include:
- Spaghetti dinner night where the cost of admission is books appropriate for various grades levels. Following dinner, a special guest of the local’s choosing could read a book to all the families present. The collected books may go to a women’s shelter or the local library restoring its collection following a flood.
- Sponsor virtual readings as a weekly event with special guest readers. Families participating may receive a book ahead of the event to read along with the special guest or families may receive paints, brushes, and a blank canvas to recreate the stories heard in a special paint along.
- Host adult literacy nights in the high school media center. Community members are invited and may participate in various classes in a series taught/facilitated by members.