Tecumseh Elementary School Celebrates Read Across America

Tecumseh Elementary School recently celebrated Read Across America with a week-long event designed to encourage students to read and raise awareness about the benefits of reading. To add a clever twist to the event, each class randomly selected a U.S. state and chose a book either set in that state or written by an author from there. This allowed students to explore literature while also learning about the history and culture of different states.

In Vincent D’Amadeo’s class, students were inspired after reading the Illinois-themed book “Dream Big” by Deloris Jordan (the mother of Michael Jordan), reflecting on the powerful theme of dreaming big and sharing their own aspirations in a “My Dream Is…” activity. Other state-inspired stories included “Hello, Wyoming!” by Martha Day Zschock, and “Larry Gets Lost in the Twin Cities” by Michael Mullin and John Skewes. 

In Jennifer Hansen’s class, students read through “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss, then spun a globe to land on a new country. From there, they researched fun and exciting reasons why it would be amazing to visit!

A U.S. map took center stage in the hallway, with each class pinning their chosen book cover to the corresponding state. This school-wide initiative not only sparked a love for books but also seamlessly combined social studies and reading, making Read Across America Week an unforgettable and enriching experience for all!