NEA's Read Across America

Declaration of Reading Independence

We hold this truth to be self-evident that all children have the right to read. If we don’t secure this right, too many of our children are likely to lead lives of quiet, or not so quiet, despair.

To secure this right, every adult has a role to play. As people who teach and work with America ’s children, we will craft our lessons and our work carefully even as our student populations change and grow. As parents, we will show our children the magic of learning. As members of the American education family, we will care for each other’s children as our own.

As we look to the future, we pause to dream together. We dream of a day when all children know their ABC’s before they come to school. We dream of a day when all third graders are reading to learn rather than learning to read. We dream of a day when every American teenager knows the joy of being swept away by the powerful prose of a good book. We dream of a day of great public schools and great public school libraries for every child.

And so, we the people who teach and work with America ’s children do solemnly swear that we will not rest until our children are the best readers in the world. As a first step toward this goal, we hereby commit to celebrate reading on March 2nd, NEA’s Read Across America Day, and to build a nation of readers throughout the year.