D.E.A.R - Drop Everything and Read Day
D.E.A.R. stands for "Drop Everything and Read," a national celebration of reading designed to remind families to make reading a priority activity in their lives.
Description & History
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D.E.A.R. stands for "," a national celebration of reading designed to remind families to make reading a priority activity in their lives. This day is celebrated every year on April 12th for author Beverly Cleary’s birthday. D.E.A.R. time was a reading practice featured in the Ramona books.
Sponsors
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D.E.A.R. is sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA); Parent Teacher Association (PTA); Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC); Reading Rockets; The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC); the American Press Institute; First Book; HarperCollins Children’s Books; Read Kiddo Read; Walden Media and Ramona Quimby
Professional Learning Resources
This post from KQ explores a beloved tradition with new twists. Hannah Byrd Little shares current research about the literacy and mental health benefits of reading as well as practices she has implemented in her school to encourage reading culture.
While a D.E.A.R. experience can be planned with a heart of celebration and joy, it is also important for educators to critically look at independent reading practices in their schools.
Reading conferencing or conferring is an important part of any independent reading time. Read this blog post by Jennifer Serravallo at MiddleWeb offering a practical guide for classroom implementation.
In this video, Jennifer Serravallo models three 90-second compliment conferences.
Learner Engagement Resources
Reading Rockets embraces a Ramona Quimby theme with this list of resources including journaling, character analysis, writing prompts, and more.
Read Write Think from the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) shares ideas of how to celebrate D.E.A.R. including a family read aloud, journaling, and retelling stories.
