Memphis-Shelby County Schools celebrated Read Across America on March 3 with a number of events across the District.
Elementary schools invited community leaders, high school students, parents, and even local celebrities to read to students and encourage them to open a book and discover the joys of reading.
The National Education Association is focusing on multiple books each month as it works to engage more students to read. For elementary students, the featured book for the month of March is Jump at the Sun: The True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia Williams. The book biography follows Zora Neale Hurston’s life from her early fascination with stories, to her struggles to get an education, to her fieldwork in anthropology, to her, at last, reaching the sun, writing books, and sharing stories.
Initiatives like Read Across America contribute to the work of improving children's early language and literacy development as part of the District’s Third Grade Commitment. It is a collaborative effort between schools, families, and community members to ensure we all work together to best help students reach reading readiness before the third grade.