March 1, 2025

Read Across Iowa is a special event celebrated throughout the month of March to help motivate kids to read. The month-long celebration brings the joy of reading to students of all ages. The 2025 theme is Fruits & Veggies: Heroes of Your Plate. More activities are being added all the time, so be sure to check back frequently.

To celebrate the event 1,000 book kits will be assembled and available for request by educators across Iowa for 2025. Each kit will also come with lessons and activities to help implement the books into classroom programming. See below for virtual lessons, activities, and read alouds to come! We're excited to have you and your students join us for Read Across Iowa!

Kits are geared towards K-5 teachers and are on a first-come, first-served basis. In March, follow along for special virtual events including read alouds!

All 2025 kits have been claimed. Please tune in to one of our virtual events listed below.


Did you know?

  • Reading to children and having books in the home is one of the strongest predictors of school success.
  • Children who read and listen to books hear a greater variety of words - up to 50% more - leading to a better vocabulary than those who watch media.
  • Children raised in homes with more than 500 books spent three years longer in school than children whose parents had only a few books, but even 25 books will be associated with completing two more years of school than having no books in the home.
  • Researchers estimate reading can reduce stress up to 68%.
  • Adults with a reading habit are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

You can make your community a place where adults spend time reading with children, and children get the message that reading is essential!

Why Agriculture?

Agriculture is essential to the economy of Iowa and is a great way to contextualize learning. Everybody eats and learning about our food system can be fun too! This agriculturally themed Read Across Iowa event and the accompanying resources will feature books and materials about agriculture that will appeal to all readers. 

The Kits

Kits are geared towards K-5 teachers and are on a first-come, first-served basis. The kits can be requested starting early January 2025.

The 2025 kits will include books, resources, and seeds.

  • From Strawberries to Jam by Lisa Owings
  • My Family's Apple Farm by Katie Olthoff
  • The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons
  • Farmer Eva's Green Garden Life by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
  • The Pie That Molly Grew by Sue Heavenrich

Make your Read Across Iowa celebration a classroom event, a virtual event, or a community event. Begin planning your celebrations today and go beyond the books with these helpful resources. 

Enjoy these Virtual Events

  • Upcoming Webinars
  • Previous Webinars
    • Informational Webinar for Teachers and Ag in the Classroom Coordinators, January 16
    • Learn more about the program and how to use the kits during our webinar on January 16 from 9-10 a.m.


Read Across Iowa Shirts

Are you excited about this program? Now you can show it off year-round with this commemorative T-shirt! Shirts are printed locally here in Iowa. Learn more and order yours at the link below.

Order Your Shirt!

About

          

Read Across Iowa is organized as a collaborative effort between the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and Iowa 4-H. Some books and materials were provided by generous funds from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Specialty Crop Block Grant, Iowa Space Grant Consortium, Casey's General Stores, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa State University (Dean of Human Sciences, Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition, Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources), and other partners of the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation.            

          

            

Questions and media inquiries can be directed to info@iowaagliteracy.org.

Many thanks to our sponsors for helping make this event possible!