"There is only one pre-requisite to success in school; that children be readers. By law, anyone working with children should have to understand how children and adults come to read, and because modelling is key to children becoming readers, all who work with children should be required to be readers."

David Bouchard understands how one comes to read. With passion, he shares that knowledge. As a teacher, administrator and father, David shares the fire it takes for us to become the readers we should be and the advocates for literacy our children need to succeed. Honoured by the Alberta School Trustees: click here.

David Bouchard is North America's foremost champion of literacy. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands in the past decade. His message is realistic, accessible and challenging: "There is nothing that affects achievement as does a child's ability to read...nothing. Yet, achievement is not the only reason we want to get our kids reading..." In 2009, David Bouchard was named to the Order of Canada.

David is Métis. He understands the need to preserve stories and songs. He listens, learns, writes and shares stories and songs with aboriginal people, the people to whom they belong..the people who have too often lost or forgotten them.

David also speaks to books..his own and others. He has thirty five best selling books, including the award-winning, The Elders are Watching and If You're Not From the Prairie.

Responses and Feedback...

For a sampling of responses to his presentations, click on an interest group.

1. Educators

2. Parents

3. Students

4. Press Clippings

Past Keynotes

* The Lt. Gov. Lois E. Hole Inaugural Lecture 2006
*Learning Consortium at OISE (University of Toronto) with Justin Trudeau
*Quality Learning with Stephen Lewis (Calgary, Alberta)
*American Embassy Schools in India: students, staff and parents; 2004 and 2006
*Literacy: Practical Ways to Achieve Success with David Booth (Mississauga, Ontario)
* Edmonton Teacher's Association (Edmonton, Alberta)
*Michigan Reading Association with Avi (Detroit, Michigan)
* Schools That Learn with Peter Senge and Alfie Kohn (Toronto, Ontario)
*National Aboriginal Day 2008/2009

To view David's calendar, click on the totem.

David Presentations:

1.Keynote addresses
2.Sessional workshops for teachers, administrators and parents
3.Presentation to students of all ages...
4.Teleconferences...for a response to these, chick here!

*FLUTE TALES...Legends enriched with Native flutes...click here!

1. The Gift of Reading... National and local surveys repeatedly indicate that North American youth cannot or do not read. Yet we continue to press for new curriculum, harder working teachers and more reading specialists. Is it possible that this is not the solution to the problem? Is it conceivable that we administrators, teachers and parents have been missing the mark? Click on the Haida rattle for a response to this presentation.

2. For the Love of Reading... Parents and educators alike must light and stoke our reading fires. This presentation speaks to..... 1) Reading and books 2) Setting the scene to read and 3) Opening lines of communication that will put you into the right books at the right time.

3. Reading - The Ultimate Aboriginal Challenge... David understands that the ultimate challenge for Aboriginal people is to succeed in a system where reading is the only pre-requisite. He understands the enormity of the problem and he understands what should be done.

David speaks to...

A. Educators:
Conferences
Professional Development Days
Aboriginal administrators, teachers, support staff
Accreditation Focus Groups
Individual or Groups of Staffs

B. Parent Groups:
David inspires parents and offers practical suggestions as to what they can expect from their schools, what is expected of them and how they can best support the process that leads toward literacy. (sample descriptor: click here)

C. Students:
David speaks to all age groups, from primary through post secondary. St. Theresa newsletter... For more, click here. ATTENTION STUDENTS! Here are two great opportunities: *The Canadian Aboriginal Writing Challenge is for young Aboriginal writers with a story to tell. *Face to Face with Canada's Best is an Order of Canada Mentorship programme for young Canadians with a deep commitment to their community.

Availability and Cost ...email David's speaking agent Chris Patrick or call him directly; toll free at 1-866-7- VOICES.