In recognition of National Reading Week and Read Across America Day, observed annually on March 2 (the birthday of children’s book author Ted Geisel, a/k/a Dr. Seuss), Carson City schools and students took time to promote a love of reading by participating in several literacy-themed activities.
Throughout the week, community partners and local dignitaries visited classrooms in Carson City to read aloud to students and share the joy of storytelling. Volunteer readers included Sheriff Ken Furlong, Mayor Lori Bagwell, Superintendent Andrew Feuling, school board trustees, government officials, first responders, television personalities, local reporters, coaches, student-athletes from Carson High and many more.
Guest readers engaged students with a variety of age-appropriate and beloved children’s books, bringing characters to life with animated voices and enthusiasm. Beyond the stories themselves, guests also took time to answer student questions, share personal experiences and discuss how reading has shaped their academic journeys and careers.
In addition to guest readers, several schools organized dress-up days related to literature and reading competitions. At Eagle Valley Middle School, Reno-based author, Nanda Reddy, spoke to students about her writing process, the publishing process and how her own life influences her stories.
At the Carson High Silver Campus, students explored career options related to reading with hallway displays. At the Carson High Main Campus library, student staff designed an interactive display, “Travel Without Moving Your Feet,” highlighting student-selected book recommendations for peers.
Carson High School also embedded 20 minutes of self-selected reading into the school day during the intervention class with support resources and reading recommendations provided by the library.
The reading week effort at each school was organized by dedicated teams of teachers who organized themed dress-up days, literacy-focused classroom activities and schoolwide events designed to make reading both fun and memorable. The collaborative effort highlights the strong partnership between Carson City schools and the broader community in supporting student achievement.
Nationally, an estimated 45 million educators, parents and students across the U.S. will participate in the observed reading week. Since 1997, the National Education Association has called on every community to enjoy the benefits of reading.
Additionally, two Carson City seventh-grade reading teams earned champion-level status for the state of Nevada in a national reading challenge Tuesday, after logging the highest average reading minutes per team member during READBowl IX: The World Championship of Reading.
The four-week global competition, organized by Read With Malcolm, the youth literacy initiative founded by Malcolm Mitchell, challenged students around the world to track reading minutes in a team-based format. This year’s competition ran from Jan. 12 through Super Bowl Sunday.
The two seventh-grade teams earned the state title by reading an average of 2,656 minutes per team member over the four-week period, outperforming teams across Nevada. According to organizers, students worldwide logged more than 800 million total reading minutes during READBowl IX.
About Read With Malcolm:
Malcolm Mitchell, a Super Bowl champion and children’s book author, has dedicated his post-football career to promoting literacy. Having struggled with reading throughout his childhood and into college, he founded Read With Malcolm to inspire students and help them build brighter futures through reading.
