cation Association (NEA) revs up more than 45 million readers— young and old—every year through Seuss-tastic events that encourage children to be in the company of a good book. This year, NEA is encouraging children to pick up a book AND a toothbrush. Why encourage brushing? Here's a statistic that may be a surprise to many: American stu- dents miss more than 51 million hoursof school every year because of oral health problems. That means a loss ofcritical instruction time—especially in early grades where readingskills are an impor- tant focus and oneof the building blocksof future learning. “NEA’s Read Across America has been successful in cultivating a nation of readers because we help kids see how much fun reading can be,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. For learning that kids can really get their teeth into, parents make sure their youngsters pick up a book and a toothbrush every day. and flossing will improve. Try sharing titles like the Dr. Seuss classic “The Tooth Book,” or titles like “Make Way for Tooth Decay” and “Open Wide: Tooth School Inside.” *Makethetrip to the dentist a more positive experience with books. Titles featuring familiar characters can help relieve the anxiety often associated with vis- for children’s literacy, is teaming iting the dentist and get kids used to the idea of regular dental checkups. Find a fun short poem and a very important message: 2 x 2 + as they brush. Rhyming verse can be aneffective timekeeper when it comesto helping kids brush for two How Educators Are Helping NEA,the leader in advocating up with Renaissance Dental through its award-winning Read Across America program todeliver 20 = goodoral health andliteracy habits. What's the reason behind this equation? Asking children to brush for two minutes, two times per day, plus read for 20 minutes each day, allowsfor a daily total of 24 minutes focused on good oral health and reading skills. And that allows parents and educators to help children address oral teach kids to recite it in their heads minutes twice a day! “By making twice-daily brushing and daily reading parts of a child’s regular routine, we can start to instill good habits early on,” said Rob Mulligan, president and CEO of Renaissance Dental. Learn More You can find further facts at www.nea.org and www.Renais sanceDental.com. For more about. health and reading. NEA’s Read Across America and Here’s what parents can do to how you can get involved, visit help foster a love of reading—and wwwnea.org/readacross. For more goodoral hygiene: on the link between oral health *Boost oral care through and literacy, check out http:// books. As kids read and learn about the benefits of good oral hygiene, attitudes about brushing 2min2x.org. You can join in on the conversation at @NEAMedia and #neareads.
