By Angelique Arenas, Moon News Cloud Contributor

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, this Saturday the Robinson Town Centre Mall will celebrate Read Across America. Located in the rotunda of the mall, children will enjoy face painting, crafts, snacks, and more.

The West Allegheny Education Association, Pennsylvania State Education, National Education Association, and West Allegheny school district sponsor Read Across America. The NEA’s Read Across American is an annual reading and motivational awareness program that calls for every child in every community across America to celebrate reading on Sunday, March 2.

Studies show that children who read more tend to normally do better in school. Anne Cunningham and Keith Stanovich from the National Center for Research note that “The more children read, the greater their vocabulary and the better their cognitive skills.”

The idea started in May 1997, when a small reading task force at NEA came up with the suggestion to get kids excited about reading Dr. Seuss, most commonly known for his children’s books. So the small group figured what better day to celebrate Read Across American than on Dr. Seuss’s birthday.

If you’re looking for a fun inexpensive educational weekend activity for your children, Read Across America runs from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.