For Immediate Release: Monday, October 2, 2017

 

Framingham Superintendent Tremblay and Read to a Child CEO Paul Lamoureux join the First Lady at the Brophy School to highlight the importance of literacy

Framingham, MA, October 2, 2017 – National literacy and mentoring non-profit Read to a Child® announced that Massachusetts First Lady Lauren Baker read to children in its Lunchtime Reading Program today at the Brophy Elementary School in Framingham, MA.  The first lady was joined by Framingham Public Schools (FPS) Superintendent Dr. Robert A. Tremblay and Read to a Child CEO Paul Lamoureux to highlight the importance of boosting literacy and socio-emotional skills to help close the achievement gap. Photos from today’s event can be found at the end of the release.

The Brophy Elementary School is one of 17 public schools in greater Boston where Read to a Child operates its Lunchtime Reading Program. Nationally, Read to a Child enlists and manages a force of 1,700 corporate volunteers from more than 125 organizations that visit urban elementary schools once a week and read aloud one-on-one to at-risk children during lunch.  This time spent with a caring adult ignites a love of reading in struggling children, while providing students with the skills and self-confidence to succeed in school and in life.

“Sharing our passion for reading is an important lesson for our children, and I applaud Read to a Child and its innovative model for mentoring at-risk students during their formative years,” said First Lady Lauren Baker.  “Many of our fondest memories as a family are of reading together and I am proud to join these volunteers who are ensuring the Commonwealth’s next generation of leaders have the opportunity to learn, read and succeed.”

“Improving literacy and socio-emotional skills in our youngest students is a major factor toward closing the achievement gap,” said FPS Superintendent Tremblay. “I am thankful to First Lady Lauren Baker, Read to a Child CEO Paul Lamoureux, and all of our community partners for helping us in these critical efforts.”

“By the time children reach fourth grade, reading skills become a critical component of learning and also an indicator of graduation rates and future success,” said Read to a Child CEO, Paul Lamoureux.  “I am so thankful that the First Lady is with us today to highlight the importance of developing literacy skills early enough to provide underserved children with a strong foundation for school, work and life.”

At today’s event, second graders from the Brophy School presented the First Lady with a personal copy of ‘The Magician’s Hat,’ signed by Brophy students and by its author, New England Patriots wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell. The First Lady proceeded to read the book to the students and because the book ends with the question, “What are your dreams?”, the First Lady engaged students in a spirited discussion. 

After the read-aloud session, the First Lady and Superintendent thanked Read to a Child corporate partners for providing both financial support and nearly 100 volunteer reading mentors for the Lunchtime Reading Program at the Brophy School. Read to a Child partners at the Brophy School include Bose Corporation, Boston Heart Diagnostics, New York Life, Sanofi Genzyme, TJX and Staples.

“I deeply value Read to a Child because I see the results of the dedicated mentors who come each week to read with our students,” said Brophy School Principal Frank Rothwell.  “Not only is our partnership with Read to a Child crucial in improving our students’ literacy skills, but the mentoring relationships that develop serve to foster a love of reading that will certainly enable our students’ future success.”

About Read to a Child:

Read to a Child, www.readtoachild.org, is a national literacy and mentoring non-profit that inspires caring adults to read aloud regularly to under-served children to create better opportunities for the child’s future. Research shows that reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for eventual success in reading, a key factor for success in school, work, and life.  When an adult reads aloud to a child, both parties have a joyful, rewarding experience that instills a love of reading, improves literacy skills, and enhances a child’s self-confidence. Read to a Child’s Lunchtime Reading Program utilizes more than 1,700 volunteer mentors from over 125 socially-minded organizations who read one-on-one to more than 1,300 at-risk elementary school students in Greater Boston, Hartford, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Miami.  

Photos from today’s event (by Robert Castagna) can be downloaded here:

http://www.eventphotographyboston.com/Private-Galleries/Read-to-a-Child-with-First-Lady

Media contact:
Lizzy Dugan
781-489-5910
ldugan@readtoachild.org

###