A reading expert will stress the importance of a partnership between parents and teachers in literacy education when she talks to the public today.

Patricia Edwards, who lectures student teachers in elementary reading methods at Michigan State University, arrived on the Island on Wednesday and will speak to parents, teachers and education administrators this morning at Sonesta Beach Hotel.

In an interview with The Royal Gazette , she explained that her philosophy was centred on the idea that students should be treated as individuals with separate literary backgrounds rather than just the same as each other.

"When a patient goes to the doctor, he has to look at their personal medical history before he can give accurate treatment,'' Ms Edwards said. "It's the same with kids. Each of their backgrounds needs to be looked at and acted on accordingly.'' She added that the title of today's lecture will be: "A Path to Follow: Learning to listen to parents.'' The professor, who is also on the board of directors for the International Reading Association, explained that much of the responsibility in providing a strong background in reading lay on the parents.

"They are really their first teachers,'' Ms Edwards said. "If they don't supply encouragement for the children to read, then the schoolteacher's job is made much harder.'' The basis of Ms Edwards' talk will be on "the need for teachers to have conversations with parents about reading and on how to develop their children into keen readers''.

In response to hearing about Bermuda's atrocious literacy statistics, the lecturer stressed that all of the blame for this cannot be put on the teachers.

"Schools can't handle all of the problems children face academically,'' she said. "Parents need to be included in providing solid literary support for them.'' The forum will run from 9 a.m. to noon at Sonesta Beach Hotel.