Day 112: Drop Everything and Read Day

Today, April 12th, is National Drop Everything and Read Day (known as D.E.A.R. Day).D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority.

Every day is a great day to Drop Everything and Read! The goal is to make reading a regular part of your routine. So, go ahead and read today, tomorrow, and every day!

It's also the birthday of beloved author Beverly Cleary, whose characters Ramona and older sister Beezus are now favorites of a new generation of readers.

While there will be D.E.A.R. events held at schools and libraries around the US, all you really need to do to participate is take 30 minutes out of your day, wherever you are, to drop everything and read. It is suggested spending those 30 minutes reading with a child, if you can.

How great is it that there's a day set aside to celebrate the sheer joy of reading? The fact that the irrepressible Ramona is the face of D.E.A.R. Day just makes the whole thing that much more fun. Happy D.E.A.R. Day. Enjoy!!

Literacy is at the root of a person’s ability to succeed, and the family is at the heart.

At the National Center for Family Literacy, and since 1989, they have helped more than 1 million families make educational and economic progress by pioneering – and continuously improving – family literacy programs.

Their emphasis is on family literacy for a simple reason – study after study shows that family, home and community are the true drivers of a child’s education. Consider:

• Children’s reading scores improve dramatically when their parents are involved in helping them learn to read.
• Low family income and a mother’s lack of education are the two biggest risk factors that hamper a child’s early learning and development.

Literacy is essential to success in today’s economy, now more than ever. The family literacy approach harnesses the strength of parent-child bonds to help those who are most at risk of failing economically, emotionally and socially. National Center for Family Literacy builds success by strengthening parent-child confidence, increasing their ability and broadening their outlook. The results have an impact on a personal level as well as a national one.

Donation: $5

To support National Center for Family Literacy, please visit:  http://www.famlit.org/