Instruct students to read and reread a popular Dr. Seuss book. Readers who are not fluent read each word separately, slowly and with less comprehension. Fluent readers read silently and automatically without having to concentrate on what the words mean. This allows them to focus on the context and overall meaning. Students who are not fluent fall behind in their studies and do not enjoy reading. Reading and rereading a popular book helps a poor reader progress.
Teach young children that printed marks in a book stand for words. Children learn to distinguish between the different sounds in their own language and understand these different sounds work together to form words. Phonics helps young readers learn the relationship between the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. Reading Dr. Seuss books aloud helps children develop fluency, learn spelling rules, develop writing abilities and comprehend what they are reading.
Use word, rhyming and syllable games as teaching strategies. Alphabet matching is used to teach phonics. Choral, paired, taped and repeated reading exercises strengthen fluency skills. Word maps and word hunts, list groups, sentence construction and semantics strengthen vocabulary skills. Learning to anticipate and identify first lines, using concept maps and learn-read-discuss exercises, and developing summarizing and visualizing imagery skills help student comprehension.
Celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday. Every year on or near March 2, the NEA sponsors Read Across America Day. Favorite Dr. Seuss books for your celebration include "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That," "Green Eggs and Ham," "Yertle the Turtle" and "If I Ran the Zoo." Download free teaching activities from the NEA and Random House websites.