Talk On Reading Readiness

WESTPORT — Learning to read, unlike learning to speak, does not come naturally. While some children learn to read easily, almost half find it challenging. And for 20 to 30 percent of these children, it is one of the most difficult tasks they face.

In a program in the McManus Room at the Westport Public Library on Wednesday, April 11, at 7:30 pm, and Thursday, April 26, at 10 am, Marjorie B. Gillis will offer parents ways to help their preschool children prepare for the challenge of reading. In her talk, Dr Gillis will outline what is involved in learning to read and describe activities and games parents can play with young children to help them gain the language skills they need for reading.

Dr Gillis has been a professional language therapist and consultant specializing in reading and reading disabilities for 25 years. She works with numerous school districts and in private practice, and currently holds a Haskins Lab Early Reading Success Fellowship, developing strategies that teachers can use in their classrooms to help all children become successful readers.

Dr Gillis is also the co-founder of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, a national newsletter for parents. Her doctoral dissertation, Evidence for the Language Basis of Reading Disabilities in Preschool Children, was based on research conducted in a Westport preschool.