Students in New Jersey deserve a great public education that inspires them to love reading. It is also important that students feel prepared for success in our diverse communities. Read Across New Jersey is partner to NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and we celebrate the parents and community members who stand with teachers and staff to ensure diverse, age-appropriate books are available to all public school students as they prepare for their future.
The joy of reading is crucial for building communities of diverse readers. Educators and parents know that magical moment when a student connects with a book. NJEA is here to support those magical moments with materials and resources.
Resources
100 Books challenge: Use this poster to encourage students to read and chart their accomplishments. The poster can be a part of any grade level curriculum and student skill level.
Social justice literacy program with Time Out for Black Lives, a program sponsored by the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference. This beautiful website features literary resources for all grade levels that complement the animated videos of books, highlighting Black culture, that are read by student-athletes.
Rutgers University Sports program has partnered with Pizza Hut Book It! to promote literacy. Students can meet literacy goals using the highly successful Book It! program and win opportunities to meet with the Scarlet Knights and Rutgers student-athletes who share their stories of success both in and out of the classroom.
Support fellow NJEA and NJREA members who have authored books by checking out NJEA Convention Authors Alley authors here.
Book Smiles, a program created by NJEA member Larry Abrams, to get diverse books into the hands of students. Read more about his program here.
Plan for next year
Don’t forget that each local association is entitled to a $500 Read Across New Jersey grant available through the Pride in Public Education portal. The deadline to submit grants for the 2024-25 school year is in mid-January 2025.
From National Education Association’s Read Across America campaign: Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers
For more than a quarter century, NEA’s Read Across America has raised awareness about the importance, value, and fun of reading. While NEA’s Read Across America celebrates reading year-round, March 2 is Read Across America Day — a special day to call attention to the efforts of educators, parents, and others who motivate and teach children to read. With an estimated 45 million people participating, Read Across America is the largest celebration of reading in the country.