Stanislaus READS! holds Community Huddle

Stanislaus READS!, a countywide effort to raise the number of third-graders reading at grade level, will host a Community Huddle at 3 p.m. Monday at the Petersen Event Center in downtown Modesto.

The event will feature keynote speaker Ralph Smith of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Free tickets are available online.

Smith is considered the father of the grade-level reading movement. He is a strong believer in bringing together unusual allies and unlikely champions around the common cause of improving reading achievement for young students. He stresses the need for a “common-sense consensus” for solutions to larger challenges such as intergenerational poverty, protecting the environment and public health needs.

Reading at grade level by the end of third grade is generally recognized as the most important predictor for high school graduation and career success.

Third grade is the last year schools are teaching reading skills, with fourth-grade English studies switching gears to reading for information and writing skills. Students without a strong foundation in reading will fall further and further behind.

The community effort works to improve school readiness, encourage high attendance and support summer learning.

Stanislaus READS! is a nonprofit partnership of the Stanislaus Community Foundation, Stanislaus County Office of Education, SCOE’s Head Start program, the Stanislaus County Children and Families Commission, Stanislaus County Libraries and five school districts.

This story was originally published March 20, 2016 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Stanislaus READS! holds Community Huddle."