Turning kids loose on Dr. Seuss
Olson Elementary School in Marina celebrated Read Across America Day on March 1, with help from some student-athletes from Cal State Monterey Bay.
Sponsored by the National Education Association, Read Across America Day coincides with the March 2 birthday of famed children’s author Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.
Members of the soccer, volleyball and cross country teams read Dr. Seuss books to the youngsters, shared their experiences with reading, and answered questions about college and what it’s like to be a student-athlete.
Eric Jackson, Toby Uptain-Villa, Jennie Yeaman and Cristina Hernandez of the cross country teams joined Molly Kennedy and Victoria Clardy of the volleyball team reading to fourth-graders.
Soccer players Evan Drake, Julian Salas, Servando Perez, Cate Bagacina and Kelly Piol read to kindergarteners.
"I had so much fun reading to the kids,” Yeaman said. “I can tell they really enjoyed having us there and I think we inspired them.”
Said Uptain-Villa: “It's always amazing to see the kids faces light up. It really shows how spending a little time twisting up your tongue reading Dr. Seuss can make a difference in a child's day.”
Read Across America Day is an annual event meant to get children excited about reading. It borrows from the world of sports with pep rallies and other activities to make reading fun.
The fun wasn’t limited to the youngsters.
“It was great seeing the kids’ enthusiasm when we read to them,” Clardy said. “Sometimes you forget how much fun reading is when you grow up.”
Photo: CSUMB soccer player Evan Drake reads to kindergarteners at Olson Elementary in Marina as part of Read Across America Day
100 Campus Center
