‘Dr. Seuss Day’ Filled with Laughs, Educational Fun

by Jonathan Weaver

Today is the official National Read Across America Day in elementary schools, but for first graders at West Hills Primary, celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday began Friday.

Each class took a different Dr. Seuss book and teachers prepared an activity that went along with the story, such as a science experiment, math retention or reading games. Students rotated to each class throughout the day so they could participate in all the activities.

There were a total of nine groups students visited.

Clarion University of Pennsylvania student teacher Cassandra Steinke read “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” to students in Kathy O’Donnell’s class. For O’Donnell’s activity, she made oobleck, a sticky substance made out of corn starch, water and food coloring that can be both a solid and a liquid – depending on the amount of force used.

She said it does not take long to make, and students were given the recipe to take home with them.

Children took turns dipping their index fingers into the oobleck before talking about what it felt like.

“It’s a lot of fun to promote reading and showing that it can be fun and take you to faraway places,” O`Donnell said. “The kids love this day.”

Students who visited Mrs. Stover’s class guessed what was inside four colored mystery boxes by only using their hands (an activity based on the book “I Can Read with My Eyes Shut.”)

Students were able to correctly guess the four items – which included among them an Army jeep, a magnifying glass and a large calculator.

“The kids really like this day – it’s so nice. It’s a nice way for them to learn and hear all the good ol` Dr. Seuss stories,” Stover said.

West Hills Primary has celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday each of the eight years Stover has been a teacher.

Mary Olinger read “Ten Apples Up on Top” to students who visited her class before students drew a picture of themselves and pasted 10 red or green apples on top in different groups.

“It’s a fun story, and I wanted the kids to work with some math facts,” Olinger said. “I thought it was a cute activity and that they would enjoy putting apples on their own head.”

Olinger has taught at West Hills for 11 years, but has also at many of the other district elementary schools – including the former-Templeton, North Buffalo and East Franklin schools.

“Even in the other buildings I’ve been in, we’ve always done a Dr. Seuss Day,” Olinger said. “I hope it encourages (students) to read and get excited about reading.”

Title 1 Teacher Shana Fabian and Learning Support Teacher Tara Yeterian teamed up to read “The Lorax” and perform aspects of the book in the classroom.

They selected the book because of the 2012 movie that most of the children saw and because of the message

Yetarian – a West Hills Primary teacher since 2005 – services 45 students, many of which recognized the pair.

“(Dr. Seuss books are) nice for the kids to read – especially for early literacy readers because of the rhymes,” Yetarian said.

A total of 70 Dr. Seuss books have been written (49 written before his death and the rest posthumously or under a pen name).

Even U.S. President Barack Obama signed an official proclamation celebrating the occasion and called for schools to observe it appropriately.

“As a Nation, one of our greatest responsibilities is to ensure every American child can experience the transformative power of reading. Literacy is the gateway to all other learning, and it is the most basic building block of opportunity in an economy increasingly built on knowledge and innovation,” the proclamation began. “On Read Across America Day, we celebrate the ways literacy has enhanced our lives and recommit to empowering every student with a strong start and a passion for reading.

“The works of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to us as Dr. Seuss, have sparked a love for reading in generations of students. His whimsical wordplay and curious characters inspire children to dream big and remind readers of all ages that “a person’s a person no matter how small.”

More activities are scheduled for this week to celebrate the author’s birthday, including Kittanning Rotarians visiting each Armstrong School District elementary - as well as Grace Christian School in West Kittanning and Divine Redeemer School in Ford City – to read to second graders.