The National Education Association and its 3 million members are teaming up with Renaissance Dental through its Read Across America program to deliver this message: 2 x 2 + 20 = good oral health and literacy habits.
The organizations are asking children and their parents to brush for two minutes, two times per day plus read for 20 minutes each day, explained Rob Mulligan, president and CEO at Renaissance Dental, in a press release.
The partnership also will donate $500,000 to help bring books and toothbrushes to kids in need.
With financial backing from Renaissance Dental, the Cat in the Hat -- mascot for NEA's Read Across America -- will be back for the Cat-a-Van Reading Tour, scheduled to begin the last week of February and culminate on Read Across America Day on March 1.
Originally created as a one-day event to celebrate the joy of reading, Read Across America, sponsored by NEA and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, is a nationwide initiative that promotes daily reading. Now in its 16th year, some 45 million people participate annually in the literacy program.
