Children do more than grow, they develop. They change both qualitatively and quantitatively over time to become themselves. More factors play a role in this development than we can possibly conceive of or measure, but some play a larger role than others. During this on-demand webinar, Dr. Steve Dykstra, a clinical psychologist for Milwaukee County, unpacks the uniquely essential role that language and literacy play in the process of child development in the modern world, and how language and literacy interact with other factors that drive healthy development.

With that knowledge in hand, it becomes more obvious that we’re not just teaching children to read, we’re giving them the tools that allow them to grow up healthy, successful, and able to be proud of the lives they lead. It illuminates that one of the best ways to love and care for children, especially those experiencing trauma, is to teach them to read, and that the consequences of illiteracy touch every corner of a person’s life.