Troops read Dr. Seuss books to Taunton Elementary School students

Published March 21, 2013
By Staff Sgt. David Carbajal
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

HOWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- "I do not like them, Sam-I-am. I do not like green eggs and ham," as stated in Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham".

Military members don't often find themselves reciting these words, but once a year, several of them do just that.

A group of 13 service members from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., celebrated Read Across America Day March 20, 2013, with Taunton Elementary School students in Howell Township, N.J.

Service members from every service branch and various career fields across the joint base came together to volunteer at the school in an effort to continue the Read Across America Day tradition.

"I thought it would be a good opportunity to interact with the children," said Capt. Ian Slazinik, 21st Air Mobility Operations Squadron tanker planner and one of the JB MDL volunteers. "Plus, I wanted to help encourage the students to read and stress the importance of education."

Several of the volunteers have a long-standing appreciation for the Read Across America namesake Dr. Seuss and his books.

"I love Dr. Seuss and so do my children," said Slazinik, an O'Fallon, Ill., native. "I have three young girls and I read to them as often as I can."

Volunteers chose two of their favorite Dr. Seuss books and had the opportunity to read to several students in different classrooms ranging from Kindergarten to 5th grade.

Some volunteers carefully selected their books before going into the classrooms.

"I chose 'Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!' because it's one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books," said Petty Officer 1st Class Kenneth Cook, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team response technician and a volunteer.

"I think the book encourages imagination and it's a great thing to teach kids - to always be thinking and come up with new ideas," said Cook, a Rapid City, S.D., native.

Read Across America Day, usually held annually March 2, is celebrated nationwide on the birthday of the children's author Dr. Seuss. The school was unable to celebrate Read Across America Day earlier in March because of school-wide testing.

The Read Across America tradition began in 1998 when members of the National Education Association wanted to find ways to motivate children to read according to the NEA website. Research has shown children who are motivated to spend more time reading do better in school.

"Who better to come and represent the need to read than people in our military," said Suzanne Gabriel, Taunton Elementary School lead teacher. "It shows children the importance of reading and the importance of what service members do."

The school's principal sees even more benefits to having service members around the children.

"It's so important to see the role models and how reading ties into everything we do," said Diana Rochon, Taunton Elementary School principal. "We read to the children all the time, but to have outsiders come in and share what they do is important.

"You're molding young lives," the principal added.

The faculty hopes this type of event will have a positive long-term effect on the children.

"We hope that having positive role models around the children that it will help shape them for the better ... forever," said Gabriel.

Howell Hears a Who!