PC READS brings literacy expert to Park City for free Raising a Reader event

Oct. 20 program will explore how children learn to read, Structured Literacy and how parents can support reading at home

PARK CITY, Utah — Parents and educators can learn more about how children are being taught to read in local classrooms during a free PC READS event Oct. 20 at Park City High School.

The fourth annual Raising a Reader: Little Readers, Big Futures event will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Park City High School Lecture Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

This year’s featured speaker is Natalie Walker, M.Ed., a literacy educator with more than 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and education leader. Walker now works as a Literacy Partner with 95 Percent Group.

Walker will discuss Structured Literacy, an approach to reading instruction adopted by school districts across the country, including Summit County. Her presentation will focus on how the approach works and how parents can support reading development at home.

A panel discussion with educators from Park City School District, Park City Day School, and Weilenmann School of Discovery will follow her talk. Panelists will discuss how local classrooms are using newer reading curricula.

The evening will conclude with a live audience question-and-answer session.

“This is the fourth year in a row we are bringing a national literacy expert to Park City through our Elevating Literacy Program,” PC READS Executive Director Elissa Aten said in the announcement. “Learning to read is a fundamental part of a child’s education, and knowing how reading is best taught helps parents support their child at home.”

Aten said the panel will also give parents a clearer understanding of reading curricula that local schools have implemented in recent years.

PC READS describes Raising a Reader as a free literacy series designed to help families understand how children learn to read and what tools can support struggling readers. This year’s event also falls during Dyslexia Awareness Month, which is observed each October.

PC READS was founded in 2014 and advocates for students with dyslexia and other struggling readers. The Park City-based nonprofit provides dyslexia screenings, advocacy, educator training, youth programming, and family support.