Dr. Seuss, Our
Literary Sponsor
Greg Warman,
Alex Gilkerson, Marc Nie, Sean Demme
Alright
you boys, alright you girls
It’s
time to discuss where learning unfurls.
Thinking
back, as long as I could remember
Yes
even back to my first December
There
was one author who stood above the rest
You
might even say that he was the best.
From
how the books were written
To
how they were read
Dr.
Seuss Knew how to stick in your head
He
used clever plots and clever themes
All
nestled away
In
neat rhyme schemes.
Take
heed, in fact
For
what we will discuss
is
why Seuss left a deep impression on us.
With
characters here and words he would tinker
Seuss
put great joy in making a kid into a thinker.
What
sticks with us still is not the words or the book
But
the message behind.
There,
that’s the hook.
Though
the books were for kids
The
parents weren’t left out
For
with him
A
great message always came about
Relevant
today, as ever they could be
His
stories have aged like The Great Gatsby
The
reason he is so great isn’t hard to conceive
One
of his messages was just to believe.
As
I read his stories, not only did I learn
But
more knowledge and creativity were always yearned.
Horton
Hears a Who
Green
Eggs and Ham
Yertle
The Turtle
And
even the Grinch too!
All
have shaped how we learn today
Simply
by being there when it was time
To
hit the hay.
Seuss
help kids all over the place
Get
comfortable with words at a nice slow pace
Even
if you are a big as an Elephant
Or
as small as a Who
Dr.
Seuss knew you could read it
He
believed in you!
You
know who we are
And
you know where we stand
Dr.
Seuss influenced literacy all over the land.
You
cannot deny
No,
you won’t even dare
No
other childrens’ authors even compare
Time
is short, yes, don’t be bitter
Let’s
move on now, to the good Dr.’s Twitter.
Dr.
Seuss held the firm belief that reading and writing creative stories actual
helped “wake up the brain cells.” What he meant by this is that it is important
to be able to bring out your creativity in life situations to help with your
literacy or any kind of education for that matter. Most literate people have
heard of, or are familiar with Dr. Seuss’ work.
https://twitter.com/Yo_itsSeuss
- Dr. Seuss’s best quotes
Theodor Geisel, better
known as Dr. Seuss, has influenced literature immensely for people of all
ages. His hypothesis on why kids were not able to read well was because
of the books. He felt the books were boring and didn’t catch their
interest. That’s why you can pick up any of the Dr. Seuss books and
instantly be amused. The way he catches the readers attention is by the
fun colors, the catchy rhymes, and the goofy characters. Doing this,
especially for the kids, makes it fun to read. In everyone of his books
there is a message or a moral about the story it goes with. He teaches
children to use their imagination like in the book, And to Think That I Saw
It on Mulberry Street. When kids cannot go outside and play because
of the weather, he gives them something exciting to do inside, like in the
well-known book, The Cat in the Hat. Geisel not only teaches
people ways to learn, he taught us life long lessons as well. In the
book,How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, he teaches us that if you are nice
and accept people that are rude and crude, they will end up with a bigger
heart.
His books give kids or
anyone really, that are moving on to something bigger and better a sense of
motivation. The book, Oh, The Places You'll Go, helps you move on
with your life, or at least makes it a little bit easier. One quote that really
stands out, “You're off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is
waiting, So . . . get on your way!" If this doesn’t motivate you to try
and succeed in your future then who knows what would.
Compared to other children book series, Dr.
Seuss is the most influential. Other book classics like Berenstain Bears,
The Magic School Bus, or any other books teach kids how to learn and in a
fun way, but do not teach as much as the Dr. Seuss books. Like I said
before, Dr. Seuss books teach more than reading and writing, they shape kids by
showing them many different ways to help others or act toward each other.
All these facts are
relevant to learning because growing up involves more than just a good
education. Don’t get me wrong, a good education is a huge part of growing
up but there are other things that matter as well. For instance: how to
treat people whether you’re friends or not, helping the environment, using your
imagination, and even the different places you can go with your life. Dr.
Seuss mastered his way of teaching people the important things in life and made
it a fun and exciting way to learn.
Survey :
Dr. Seuss Survey Analysis
“How did/has Dr. Seuss affect
literacy”
Out of 61 participants in the
survey, here were the results:
1. Have you ever read a book written by Dr. Seuss?
Yes- 57 (93.4%)
No- 5 (8.2%)
2. If yes, did you enjoy it?
Yes-
50 (82%)
No- 1 (1.6%)
Some What- 8 (13.1%)
Never Read a Dr. Seuss book- 5
(8.2%)
3. When is the last time you read a Dr. Seuss book?
Within the past month- 8 (13.1%)
Within the past 6 months- 15 (22.6%)
Between 6 months and a year- 11
(18%)
Over a year ago- 25 (32.6%)
Don’t Know- 10 (16.4%)
Never Read a Dr. Seuss Book- 5
(8.2%)
4. Could you pick out an underlying message in the books?
Yes- 41 (67.2%)
No- 8 (13.1%)
Don’t Know 12 (19.7%)
Never Read a Dr. Seuss Book- 5
(8.2%)
5. Have Dr. Seuss books impacted you in any way? If so, how?
Best Responses:
- “The last time I read one it was to a two year old I was
babysitting and just the excitement he had as I read to him made me want to
work with kids! So now I want to teach kids.”
- “They've taught me how to see lessons and morals from
different perspectives.”
- “No they were just fun to read.”
- “I
think it's impacted my love for reading, and Dr. Seuss was basically a part of
my childhood”
- “They always remind me how simple life can be even though it
seems so complicated.”
- “Yes, they promote creativity”
- “They present a new way of looking at life and difficulties
in life. They have made me more aware of the way I live life”
- “They taught me to be accepting of other people, try new
things, and how to count.”
- “Yes I think they're creative and help you think outside of
the box. Nonsense wakes up the brain cells”
- “Dr. Seuss sends messages that are creative and meaningful
at the same time.”
Basically, from the results that
we’ve gathered, most people have read, and enjoyed at least one of Dr. Seuss’s
works. Even though Dr. Seuss’s books
were published back between the 50’s and 70’s, his books are still being read
by recent generations. By the responses we received about the impact that Dr.
Seuss’s books had on the participant allows us to draw the conclusion that his
books and writing are so popular because they are simple, the rhyme scheme is
catchy, and he incorporates simple messages and morals in his books that can be
applied to anyone, which allows his books to stay popular even in a new
generation. These simple morals and his
format of expressing those acts as a great literacy sponsor in the molding and
shaping of our literacy as we’ve matured and grown up.
Individual Responses about Dr. Seuss as our Literary Sponsor
Greg's
response:
For our project, we defined how Dr.
Seuss, in all his simplicity, helped to become a large influence in the
development of our literacy as we've grown and matured. Dr. Seuss created
simple works but in those silly rhymes and goofy stories, he always managed to
open up one's imagination, causing you to delve into his fun, fantasy creations
all while he was presenting an underlying message about morals or equality that
for me, has had a lasting impact on not only my literacy, but my life and how I
live it and view the world around me. Because of his great influence on me, I
would definitely recommend his books to anyone; tiny and small, or big and
tall. The underlying themes in his books apply to anyone and continues to
apply even though times are changing. Dr. Seuss’s relevance will always
apply. His theme as “why” instead of “how”
will always remain unique to him.
Marc's
response:
I was introduced to Seuss at a very young age. It probably started much earlier than I can actually remember, but the defining moment came when I was three and it was around Christmas time. My mom showed me the red and green cover of the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I have seen the 30 minute show before and loved it, but now I have the book to reference. After my mom read it to me, I began noticing the plethora of Seuss books we actually owned (which turned out to be a lot, actually). Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, Oh, the Places You Will Go, and many more; I grew up reading those books with my parents. I moved from Seuss to Shel Silverstein around the time I was eight and from there started reading short chapter books like Scooby-Doo and Captain Underpants. I will always remember that I started reading with rhyme and that it started with a green Who who didn’t like Christmas. The books taught me many things about literacy using many tools, such as repetition and theme. All the stories had a neat and unique theme to them. Green Eggs and Ham teaches you to try new things, while The Lorax has a deeper meaning behind it, such as protecting the environment. Not only did Dr, Seuss help my literacy, he also brought up simple life lessons and pseudo-social change.
I was introduced to Seuss at a very young age. It probably started much earlier than I can actually remember, but the defining moment came when I was three and it was around Christmas time. My mom showed me the red and green cover of the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I have seen the 30 minute show before and loved it, but now I have the book to reference. After my mom read it to me, I began noticing the plethora of Seuss books we actually owned (which turned out to be a lot, actually). Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, Oh, the Places You Will Go, and many more; I grew up reading those books with my parents. I moved from Seuss to Shel Silverstein around the time I was eight and from there started reading short chapter books like Scooby-Doo and Captain Underpants. I will always remember that I started reading with rhyme and that it started with a green Who who didn’t like Christmas. The books taught me many things about literacy using many tools, such as repetition and theme. All the stories had a neat and unique theme to them. Green Eggs and Ham teaches you to try new things, while The Lorax has a deeper meaning behind it, such as protecting the environment. Not only did Dr, Seuss help my literacy, he also brought up simple life lessons and pseudo-social change.
Alex's
Response:
Dr. Seuss’s way of writing and style of writing has affected so many different people. The way he uses the rhyming and different colors and pictures makes it almost fun to read. Dr. Seuss does more than make it fun, you just have to look passed all of the silly things. He gives the reader a new way to learn and think. It is hard to figure that out at a young age, but now as a college student and by doing research on him, I have found other meanings in his writing. It showed me to look more into the readings and find out what the author is really trying to get across. There are many of his books if not all of them that have more than one meaning. Oh, The Places You Will Go was given to me for graduation and I was sure why. I read it a few times to reminisce own my child years and I understood why it was a gift. Not only to remind me of the book but to tell me I can do anything I want with my life and that I will make my own path. I strongly recommend his series of books not only to children but all ages. You can never be to old for a Dr. Seuss book.
Dr. Seuss’s way of writing and style of writing has affected so many different people. The way he uses the rhyming and different colors and pictures makes it almost fun to read. Dr. Seuss does more than make it fun, you just have to look passed all of the silly things. He gives the reader a new way to learn and think. It is hard to figure that out at a young age, but now as a college student and by doing research on him, I have found other meanings in his writing. It showed me to look more into the readings and find out what the author is really trying to get across. There are many of his books if not all of them that have more than one meaning. Oh, The Places You Will Go was given to me for graduation and I was sure why. I read it a few times to reminisce own my child years and I understood why it was a gift. Not only to remind me of the book but to tell me I can do anything I want with my life and that I will make my own path. I strongly recommend his series of books not only to children but all ages. You can never be to old for a Dr. Seuss book.
Sean’s Response:
Dr.
Seuss influenced my writing a good amount, but it didn’t start there. When I
first started reading Dr. Seuss books I wasn’t writing quite like I am today.
No long papers, no drafts, no word processing – It wasn’t my writing he
effected first. Dr. Seuss had brought into the light for me what seems to be
diminishing ever too quickly in children today, my imagination. There is simply
nothing at the reading level of Seuss with that much imaginative illustration
and literature. He taught me the control I have as a writer; my ability to
write myself into any situation, to be anything, to have no limits.
This
ultimately shaped the writer I am today. Dr. Seuss’ imagination was endless and
that rubbed off on me. In fact, he’s quoted for saying, “In my world,
everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!” He clearly
knew how to play with his imagination. Not only did Seuss know the “how’s” but
he also knew the “why’s”. “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living; it's a
way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope” Seuss says about
fantasy – it was his way of making the bad parts of life smaller – by flipping
the telescope.
Seuss
was a professional. He knew what kids needed and he created it. He used his
writing and made something far more important than a novel – he knew his
writing had no limits and he taught millions of kid that they could do the
same. Childish nonsense and a good underlying message could mix to make
something that nobody had seen and everybody loved. Seuss affected me and my
writing and the writing of millions of others. He is the introduction to the
idea that imagination was infinite – and that writing could be fun too.
