Happy Read Across America Day!
Celebrate with these five diverse books read aloud on YouTube to celebrate Read Across America or for any day of the year.What is Read Across America?
NEA continues to host this important holiday and you can find a lot of resources on their website. I especially enjoy their themed reading calendar. March's theme? Celebrate Diversity.
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The Value of Listening to Read Alouds
I wanted to do a post with slightly different resources for Read Across America and thought it would be great to focus on listening to stories and how they help improve literacy.
In fact, read-aloud videos play a crucial role in promoting literacy among children. Here are just a few ways they help:
- Read-aloud videos provide a dynamic and engaging platform for storytelling, allowing children to immerse themselves in the narrative while simultaneously improving their language skills.
- Hearing stories read aloud helps children develop essential literacy skills such as vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.
- Additionally, read-aloud videos can serve as valuable modeling tools, showcasing proper pronunciation, intonation, and expression, which are fundamental aspects of effective reading.
- These videos can foster a love for reading by making storytelling a pleasurable and interactive experience.
- They also offer accessibility to a wide range of literature, including diverse voices and perspectives, thereby promoting inclusivity and cultural understanding.
5 Video Read Alouds for Read Across America
Here are 5 videos that I've selected for their diversity and inclusivity, starting, of course, with one that highlights a Latina legend: Rita Moreno!
A Girl Named Rosita 💃🏻 The Story of Rita Moreno for Kids (Parents, don't be put off by the puppets at the beginning. The actual read aloud is excellent!)
Get the book here in English and in Spanish.
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi - Video by Read Aloud Adventure (Excellent channel to follow!)
Get the book here!
Senator Cory Booker Reads "Freedom Soup" for Read Across America
Get the book here!
Get the book here in English and in Spanish!
Astronaut Nick Hague reads Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover on Storytime from Space.
Get the book here!
What are your kids reading today?
Other Posts You May Enjoy
If you'd like to find more (bilingual) resources for Read Across America Day, check out these posts here on MommyMaestra:
- Dr. Seuss Books in Spanish
- Read Across America Books, Ideas, & Printable
- Read for America: 3 Books that Inspire
- Diverse Books: reviews and features