THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

Join Tampa Theatre and the Hillsborough Literacy Council for an evening of film and conversation exploring a quiet problem that impacts the lives of children and adults across the country.

From Emmy-Award^® winning director Nick Nanton comes an eye-opening new documentary, The Truth About Reading. Literacy experts from across America, including Emily Hanford of Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong and Lacey Robinson of UnboundEd, emphasize the gravity of the illiteracy crisis and share how the implementation of science and evidence-based practices can transform lives and ensure that every child learns how to read.

The documentary highlights the stories of David Chalk and John Corcoran, two men who didn’t learn how to read and write until they were adults. Following their stories gives a glimpse into the hard truth of how illiteracy and sub-literacy impede a person’s ability to truly thrive. While the film illustrates the painful reality of life for individuals impacted by illiteracy, it also reminds viewers that the issue is not one that affects just a few struggling readers, but one that affects countless children and adults and weakens the very fabric of our society.

Filled with powerful emotion, a deep sense of urgency, and an overarching spirit of hope, The Truth About Reading brings light to a hidden crisis and compels audiences to take action to end illiteracy once and for all.

Guests are encouraged to stay after the film for a panel discussion and audience Q&A with:

• Dr. Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, Interim Dean & Professor of Literacy Studies at USF, who served as the Director of the Suncoast Young Authors Celebration for 20 years and is the author of the open-access digital textbook, The Inside, Outside, and Upside Downs of Children’s Literature (USF Scholar Commons). Her research focuses on children’s composing processes and arts-based approaches to literacy education. She currently serves on the Board of the Hillsborough Literacy Council.
• Dr. Mari Sakai, who holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics with a specialization in second language acquisition and a focus on accents. She currently serves as a literacy and language specialist for Hillsborough County Public Schools and is a board member of the Hillsborough Literacy Council. Dr. Sakai is also the founder of Sakai Speech Consulting, which helps professionals improve their English pronunciation.
• Eric Hughes, who has served as the president of the Hillsborough Literacy Council (HLC) Board of Directors for the past two years. Previously, he was manager of HLC programming for the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library, which partners with the HLC to provide services. He has extensive experience teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) around Hillsborough County at USF and HCC and worked overseas as a U.S. Department of State-funded English Language Fellow in Mozambique.

Tickets for this special screening are FREE, courtesy of the Hillsborough Literacy Council. RSVP is required by clicking this show time.

The Hillsborough Literacy Council provides an opportunity for people to make a difference happen right in front of their eyes. We train and match literacy volunteers who in turn help residents of Hillsborough County benefit from improved literacy and/or English language skills. Each year we help hundreds of people achieve their goals related to reading and communicating in English. With those improved skills and confidence, our students can improve their job prospects and financial situation, read bedtime stories to their children, and participate more fully in society.

This screening is held in the Taylor Screening Room. At ticket purchase, you will be asked to select your reserved seat(s).