Program Inspiration

Voices Reading began with the actions of one person who wanted to make a difference in the lives of children.

In 1992, several youths in Patrick Walker's neighborhood were shot and killed in a senseless act of gang violence. In response to this horrific series of events, Dr. Walker helped establish a neighborhood-wide drug and violence prevention coalition focused on violence prevention. After capturing the attention and support of leading Harvard researchers and authors, Walker's efforts were awarded grants to implement a far-reaching solution: a school-based program that uses authentic, multicultural literature to promote literacy, values, and prevention.

Today, Voices Reading-authored by Walker in collaboration with Harvard Graduate School of Education's Dr. Catherine Snow and Dr. Robert Selman-is recognized as the first program to embed character development within systematic, comprehensive literacy instruction. The program's innovative use of instructional read-alouds and theme-based character development concepts inspire young learners to reflect, express, and connect literacy instruction to their lives.