National Read A Book Day
Every September 6th.
Encouraging everyone to pick up a book and reconnect with the joys of reading.
About the event
National Read a Book Day has its origins in the US in the late 2000’s and has been popularised internationally as a day to celebrate the joys of reading by encouraging everyone to pick up a book and read.
How to approach it
In an increasingly digital age, it’s all too easy to neglect reading as an activity. This day is an opportunity to remind ourselves how nice it is to sit down with a good book and quietly read. This could be one framing to discuss with students. Reading isn’t just about what we learn, it's about the activity itself. Reading allows us to free ourselves from the fast paced world and take time to reflect, or to imagine. Engage students by talking to them about technology and all the associated negative effects that overstimulation might have. Suggest that, if we are feeling stressed a calming activity such as reading, drawing or writing can be good for our mental health.
Additionally, show that through reading we can come to better understand the thoughts and experiences of others. Developing a global, compassionate outlook requires encouraging empathy and an intimate understanding of the diverse experiences around the world. This day offers the opportunity to develop empathy for those living in different national, economic and cultural contexts. Students can be shown the incredible diversity of literature, and be encouraged to read something written by someone very different from themselves. Beyond this, students should be free to follow their curiosity. This day offers the chance to develop a fascination and reverence for diversity.
Conversation starter
Over 3,000 years ago, humanity invented the first written words. Ever since then, humans have been recording their thoughts on everything from rocks to paper. That's a lot of writing! Books store up all of humanity's thoughts from incredible stories to world-changing ideas. What is your favourite book and why?
