October 2002

Youth Matters will host its annual 3R (Richmond Region Reads) Reading Summit on October 19 in Richmond as the culmination of Virginia's Week of the Child.

At the request of Youth Matters, an affiliate of the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Governor Warner made the proclamation declaring October 14-19 as the Week of the Child to highlight the literacy issues affecting the Commonwealth's children. Also, October is Literacy Month in Virginia. The week has included several high-impact events regarding the importance of reading to and with young children in order to ensure their success in elementary school and beyond.

The Reading Summit this Saturday is an annual celebration of reading and is attended by hundreds of teachers, parents, service providers, school administrators and volunteers who all have one thing in common: the desire to ensure that all third graders are reading at grade level by 2010.

This year's keynote speaker is Dr. James P. Comer, one of the nation's pre-eminent experts on educational reform and healthy child development. Dr. Comer is a rarity among educational reformers in his belief in healthy child development as the keystone to academic achievement and life success. He is the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale Child Center, Associate Dean of the Yale School of Medicine, and Director of the School Development Program. He is best known for the founding of the Comer School Development Program, which promotes building of relationships among parents, educations and the community to improve social, emotional and academic outcomes for children. This highly successful program has been implemented in more than 500 schools throughout the country, including a few Richmond and Chesterfield County schools. (For a recent article written by Dr. Comer, click here).

The Reading Summit's theme is "Reading Requires Relationships" and it will also feature educational workshops and a Resource Fair giving attendees information and skills to help children read. To register, call 804-783-9368. Visit Youth Matters' website for descriptions of workshops.

For more information about Youth Matters on this website, click here. For more information on this website about reading by 3rd grade, click here.