Forsyth County Central Library screening 'The Right to Read' documentary on Thursday

The Forsyth County Central Library is hosting a community screening Thursday evening of the documentary film, The Right to Read.

The event was organized by Rebecca Griffith, a structured literacy and dyslexia specialist in Winston-Salem. 

“I work with kids that are struggling with reading, and what I find in my work is that not every child that comes to me is dyslexic," Griffith said. "And so, it's just interesting to see how many of them actually have dyslexia and how many of them really just needed the explicit direct instruction in phonics and everything else that goes into the foundational literacy skills.”

That’s part of what motivated her to organize the screening of the documentary, which explores an activist, a teacher, and two families fighting for improved literacy instruction. 

“It’s important work, and my goal is to empower parents. Like, this is what's going on, these are the questions you can ask," Griffith said. "And I think the biggest equalizer is education. The biggest way to empower people is just by giving them the information so they know how to advocate for their children.”

After the film, the audience will hear from a panel of experts from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the NC Early Childhood Foundation, and local organization Read Write Spell. They will discuss best practices in literacy instruction, what the issue looks like across the state, and answer questions from attendees.  

The free event will be held in the Media Room of the Forsyth County Central Library from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.