The Student Education Association of Ball State concluded its "Read Across America" awareness events Monday by reading Dr. Seuss books to kids at Garfield Elementary School to encourage literacy among children.
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Throughout the event, Ball State students have read Dr. Seuss books and books about the first man on the moon, Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Cosby and others to students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
"Your ability to communicate and express your own unique talents is a huge part of your reading skills," Anthony Stratton, a volunteer and BSU graduate student in elementary education, said.
Muncie police and firefighters have also come into schools to promote literacy and safety.
"Reading is very important, especially in an emergency situation," Tim Brown, a Muncie firefighter, said. "We live in a high-tech world, and if kids don't know how to read emergency signs, it's meaningless, and it will hurt their lives."
Barbara Shepperd, a third-grade teacher at Garfield Elementary, said the events are another fun activity for children using reading skills.
"I was excited to see firefighters so close to me," said third-grader Carlos Vicks. "He was cool."
Read Across America, which is sponsored by the National Education Association, annually promotes reading nationwide on the birthday of the children's author Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.
Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, and he wrote and illustrated 44 children's books.
"There are two kinds of readers: readers of pleasure and of knowledge," said Jennifer Walden, chairwoman for Read Across America at Ball State. "Teaching children how to be readers of each opens their minds and their eyes to the world around them."
Children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school, according to research by the NEA.
The research also showed that parents play a "crucial" role when they take time to read with their children.
The reading, however, has to be at the children's level to be interesting, said Keith Nash, one of the parents.
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