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Thousands of kids will celebrate reading this week for Read Across America Day on March 2,

beloved author Dr. Seuss birthday. Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfi eld, Missouri. He was voted the

“Least Likely to Succeed” by his schoolmates, but he grew up to be one of the most beloved author of all time.

Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated over 40 children’s books, including the popular The Cat in the Hat.

Reader’s OathI promise to readEach day and each night.I know it’s the keyTo growing up right.

I’ll read to myself, I’ll read to a crowd.It makes no difference If silent or loud.

I’ll read at my desk,At home and at school,On my bean bag or bed, By the fi re or pool.

Each book that I readPuts smarts in my head,‘Cause brains grow more thoughtsThe more they are fed.

So I take this oathTo make reading my wayOf feeding my brainWhat it needs every day.

Read The Cat in the Hat with your class and answer the questions below.1. Think about how the children reacted to the messes the Cat made. How would you have reacted? 2. List some of your favorite activities to do on a rainy day. 3. Now that you have read The Cat in the Hat, write your own ending to the story.

Questions? Call Educational Services at (405) 475-4137 or visit www.NewsOK.com/NIE.

Bonus Newspaper Activities!1. Get started on the oath you just took. Find a headline in today’s Oklahoman that interests you and read the story.2. Log on to The Oklahoman Archives at http://static.newsok.biz/sites/nie/archives.html and fi nd out what happened on March 2 of the year you were born.

Debra Angstead of Missouri-NEA.


Bonus Newspaper Activities! Choose a picture that’s interesting to you and read the caption. Now, write your own caption using words that rhyme.

Extra credit for older students: Write a poem using as many of the above words as you can.

FUN READING IDEAS One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish I Can Read With My Eyes Shut Hop on Pop McElligot’s Pool

WHICH WORDS DON’T BELONG?Dr. Seuss was a master at rhyming. Below are six clusters of words. Three of the

four words in each cluster rhyme. Circle the word that doesn’t belong.

This educational program brought to you by Dr. Seuss Properties TM & © 1937-2005 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved Read Across America Event logo TM & © 1997 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. and NEA

HAND

BAND

SANDBANDBANDPENC

IL

YELLOW

CAT

SAT

HAT

PINCH

INCH

GRINCH

APPLE

POTATO

SAM HAM

JAM

WOCKETPOCKET

SOCKETSOCKETSOCKETLOCKER

GOOSE

SUESS

SNEAKERJUICE


Bonus Newspaper Activities! - Read stories in The Oklahoman. When you come across words you don’t understand, look them up in a dictionary. What new words did you learn today?

Cat in the hatword search

This educational program brought to you by Dr. Seuss Properties TM & © 1937–TM & © 1997 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. and NEA

Find the words belowin the word search puzzle.

CAT IN THE HAT HAT CAT PLAYFUL RHYME FUN STRIPES RED DR. SEUSS

WHITE MESSY SILLY

CATINTHEHATD

DYCAUFJSSGHN

RSDMFSVEVRNU

SSZYBWIVSNFE

EERECYULJALE

UMPLAYFULQMU

SWHITEMBLYOB

SVDERVRVHLQS

TMNHATYRRLVU

UOPXKNSGTTDE


Bonus Newspaper Activities! - Read today’s comic strips. Then think about your own. Now draw it, and write what the main character says using a sentence written in anapestic terameter.


In 2000, The Cat in the Hat ranked as the 9th best selling children’s book ever published, selling over 7.2 million copies. Even though Dr. Seuss had written and published many other children’s books prior, The Cat in the Hat was acclaimed by educators, parents and children alike, for its easy-to-read verbiage, repetition and rhyme scale.

Dr. Seuss wrote most of his books in a verse characterized as anapestic tetrameter. This form of writing consists of four rhythmic units, each composed of two weak beats followed by one strong. For example, da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM. Often, in this type of writing, the fi rst weak syllable is left out, or an additional weak syllable is added at the end. For example, the fi rst line of If I Ran the Circus is: In ALL the whole TOWN the most WONderful SPOT.

Activities:1. Write a sentence using anapestic terameter — da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM da da DUM.

2. What are some of the other forms of writing that Dr. Seuss used in his books?

3. Write a sentence using one of those other forms of writing.

da da DUM da da D UM da da

da da D U M da da DUM da da


Bonus Newspaper Activities! - Answer these questions about today’s newspaper: What is your favorite section of The Oklahoman? What story did you most enjoy reading today? What was the story about? Who was quoted? Who wrote the story? Did he or she write any other stories in today’s paper? If so, what are the differences and similarities between the stories?


1. In the book The Cat in the Hat, what color is the cat’s hat?2. What is Dr. Seuss’s real name?3. What is the name of the Grinch’s dog?4. According to Dr. Seuss, who can Moo?5. In which book does the cat leave a ring in the bathtub?6. How much are dad’s shoes in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back?7. In which Dr. Seuss book would you read about Mr. Gump’s Wump?8. In the book Horton Hatches the Egg, what is Horton?9. What are the children’s names in The Cat in the Hat?10. How many books did Dr. Seuss write?

All week long you have learned about Dr. Seuss. He was a beloved author who wrote and illustrated more than 40 children’s books, including The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. How many Dr. Suess books have you read? Which was your favorite?

Test your Dr. Seuss knowledge with the questions in the quiz below.

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