April 12 D.E.A.R. Day

D.E.A.R. Day is April 12  (Drop Everything And Read)


April 12 is also Beverly Cleary's birthday.


D.E.A.R. Day resources


The link above will take you to a site that has Ramona inviting everyone to participate and resources for teachers.


Years ago I taught in a district that allowed us to do things that we thought were beneficial for our students, and I had D.E.A.R. every day for thirty minutes following lunch recess. 


I had a young man in the fifth grade's mom call me.  She was shocked that her son, Carlton, was voluntarily reading at home.  She said that he had never done that in all the years he had been in school.  She asked him what had changed, and he got mad, took his book and stomped off to his room.  I told her I didn't know why, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth. This was a good thing.


A couple of weeks later,Carlton came up to me and asked me if I knew that he had read his whole book.  I looked at him kind of strangely and said good.  He told me that I didn't understand, I made him read every day during D.E.A.R. time and this was the first time in his whole life that he had actually read a whole book.  He had always lied and had quit reading.  I was shocked.  He told me he did so, because he knew I would make him start another one for D.E.A.R. time and what was the use.  Everyone had to read.  Then he went on to tell me that the book got really good, and he had even taken it home and read in it. 


I had Carlton as a student for two years, as I looped with my students.  I am happy to say that as our time together grew, so did Carlton's love of reading a whole book.  I often had to take his book away from him, because he would tuck it inside something else and he would read rather than do his lesson.  So in my humble opinion, D.E.A.R. is a wonderful, possibly life-changing time.


Thanks,
Vintage Teacher


The name of the student has been changed to protect the "reader".  :0)