Raised $6675
Literacy is crucial to the health of our democracy. To participate intelligently in civic debate; I need to know how to read, be able to comprehend what I read and then know how to critically evaluate that information. Although I try, I’m not always very good at this. I’m often more of a skimmer, headline surfer and seeker of confirming evidence for my own argument instead of being a true critical reader of information.
There are many reasons beyond civic debate though that we need to ensure the next generation can read. You have to be able to read to function on even a basic level in society. Studies show that 85% of juvenile offenders, 70% of adult welfare recipients and 60% of US prison inmates identify as functionally illiterate. Literacy skills have been shown to lower chances of recidivism and help move people off welfare.
Unfortunately, we currently have a problem with literacy in our country and in our state. While Colorado is the 5th most educated US state, 1 in 3 fourth-graders in Coloradocannot read proficiently for their grade level. One in three! Fourth grade is a critical year for reading aptitude because it’s when you switch from learning to read, to using reading as a tool to help you learn in other subjects. If reading is a struggle, school quickly becomes a struggle. Students who can’t read at or above grade level by 4th grade are four (4) times more likely to drop out of high school.
While there is some debate as to why so many of our students are failing to master basic reading skills, dyslexia is widely believed to be the leading cause of reading failure and school dropouts. At least 1 in every 10 people in the US has dyslexia, which is a difficulty in processing the orthography (written form) and phonology (the sound structure) of language. The good news is that the neural pathways used in reading can be properly trained with the appropriate intervention. However, that intervention needs to come early, as 90% of kids who get early help can eventually read at grade level. If help doesn’t come until they are 9 or older then 75% will continue struggling throughout their school career.
This year Collective Power is partnering with Boulder Valley Kids Identified with Dyslexia (BVKid). BVKids is a grassroots effort, led by parents, to identify and support students with dyslexia and related learning disorders to ensure that they reach their maximum potential. Through promoting early identification, intervention techniques and scientifically based curriculum, BVKid is helping to ensure that all kids learn to read.
Sources:
https://www.epionline.org/studies/r4/
https://proliteracy.org/Resources/Adult-Literacy-Facts
https://mnliteracy.org/blogs/2014/06/26544https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/reading/
https://www.nsba.org/sites/default/les/reports/NSBA_CPE_Early_Literacy_Layout_2015.pdf
https://observer.com/2017/07/prison-illiteracy-criminal-justice-reform/