Dear CSA District Families,
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March is National Reading Month, a time when we celebrate the joy of reading and writing. During the next few weeks at CSA Elementary, we have many new and exciting activities planned to enhance, encourage, and re-ignite students’ love for literacy including special Spirit Wear Days, Zooming with authors, genre studies, new writing opportunities, and a school-wide Read-In Day when students cozy up and enjoy extended periods of time to read books together.
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While National Reading Month is more visibly celebrated at the elementary level, it is also a time to highlight the importance of developing critical readers and thoughtful writers at the secondary level and beyond.

This week I share with you one of my most favorite articles about reading with children, The Secret Power of the Children’s Picture Book. This article had a strong impact on me both as an educator and as a parent of young children. In this article, Vanderbilt University’s David Dickenson and colleagues summarize the rich developmental value of reading aloud in writing:
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“Much of the hidden magic of reading aloud has to do with those curious eyes and that devouring gaze. Looking at a book with an adult, a child increases his capacity for joint attention, noticing what others see and following their gaze. This phenomenon has a remarkable tempering power in children. It encourages the development of executive function, an array of skills that includes the ability to remember details and to pay attention. Children learn to naturally regulate their attention when they are focusing on a task they find interesting in a context that is nurturing, warm and responsive.”
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May the month of March encourage you to evaluate your reading routines at home and take some extra time to engage with books together as a family.

In partnership with you,
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Jessica Moceri