You’ve probably heard of Read Across America, the national reading event sponsored by the National Education Association every year on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss.

But did you know that this is also the day we celebrate Read Captions Across America? This event, sponsored by the Described and Captioned Media Program, was established to “raise awareness—particularly among children and their parents and teachers—that video-based media can be just as effective at encouraging and fostering reading skills as books, as long as captions are always turned on!”

Read Captions Across America emphasizes captions as a reading tool for ALL children, not just thoise who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Libraries and schools can promote the necessity of captions for accessibility and enhancing reading skills by incorporating Read Captions Across America programming any time of the year. Click here to order event kits and download free materials for your own celebration!