March is nationally recognized as Reading Month and the time to encourage everyone to read daily! We are here to talk about why reading by the end of the third grade matters to the future of our community.
The state of Indiana continues to grapple with the downstream impacts of the worldwide COVID shutdown. Since the pandemic, our local student’s math, reading, and general test scores have decreased, losing decades of progress. As of late last year, we are beginning to turn the corner and gain ground. However, we cannot rest when educating our area kids.
Why Reading By The End of Third Grade Matters
Knowledge and skill development begins in elementary school as students build literacy and math skills. These skills develop a strong foundation for critical thinking and problem-solving. Being able to read in third grade at a third-grade level plays a vital role in building this strong foundation.
Statistics show students reading below their grade level are far more likely to drop out of high school. Even worse, those same young individuals are on track to be our nation’s lowest-income, least-skilled citizens. By the time these signs have become apparent, catching up is expensive and historically unsuccessful. Children behind must achieve their normal year of growth plus another year to catch up by even a single level. This is why it is essential to build the foundation of cognitive abilities and character from birth to age 5, when a child’s brain develops rapidly.
What Happens If Kids Are Not Reading By Third Grade?
If kids are not reading by third grade, it begins the downward spiral in school performance, this is why reading by the end of third grade matters. The Children’s Reading Foundation reports, “Lack of proficient literacy and early learning skills has far-reaching consequences for students and society. Students who start kindergarten behind form the largest group of dropouts, and they have less than a 12 percent chance of attending a four-year university.”
What is the indicator?
Per the Indiana Department of Education, the 3rd Grade Literacy indicator calculates the percentage of grade 3 students demonstrating proficiency in the spring or summer administration of IREAD-3. This indicator uses the students’ best IREAD-3 score, including summer re-testers.
Students Have Fallen Behind As A Result of Covid-19
Nationally students are once again at the same reading level as in 2004 and the same math level as in 1999. The difference in the past few years is notable, with only one common factor, COVID-19. It is imperative that we get the children engaged and continue making progress in their development to keep proficiency up as a nation.
The National Assessment Educational Progress measures both reading and math proficiency in fourth and eighth graders, essentially known as the “Nation’s Report Card”. Most recent results indicate that while Indiana’s proficiency rates are comparable to our national average, our rating still falls below par.
Nationally students are once again at the same reading level as in 2004 and the same math level as in 1999. The difference in the past few years is notable, with only one common factor, COVID-19. It is imperative that we get the children engaged and continue making progress in their development to keep proficiency up as a nation.
How Our Local School Corporations Are Performing
We’ve talked a lot about why reading by the end of third-grade matters, but how are our local schools doing? Unfortunately, five out of six area public school corporations are below the 95% goal the State of Indiana’s Department of Education set.
Though some of our schools are performing above the state average, all schools are continuing to make this indicator a priority. We believe it’s because of organizations like Every Child Can Read that area schools are trending close to or exceeding the state average.
The Reading Academy, one of our program partners at Every Child Can Read began their organization with a mission geared towards third grade students to prepare them for upcoming national exams. This is a critical point in a child’s development, therefore providing an individual learning environment for them. The Academy’s website states “Approximately 30% of Richmond students do not pass the third-grade ISTEP+ Language Arts (Reading) test – the first in the series of statewide ISTEP+ tests.”
Partnering With Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton why reading by the end of third grade matters. This motivated her to launch Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tennessee, in 1995. The star was initially inspired by the obstacles her father was forced to or could not overcome due to illiteracy. Almost three decades later, the program has expanded across five countries and gifts over 2 million books a month.
Local non-profit Every Child Can Read has introduced the library to our community’s children by gifting them one book every month from infancy to age 5, to promote early learning. Parents can get their children started in the program by visiting the site here. This month, the organization celebrated the new Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library partnership by hosting an event at Richmond’s New Boswell Brewery & Tap Room.
Several mothers, from stay-at-home to career-focused mothers, have commented on the benefits of the Imagination Library to their children. Their educational development is of utmost importance just as much as their livelihood, and this program has eased the lifestyle of parents when feeling stretched thin but still want to stay involved.
You can sign your child or grandchild up by visiting the Imagination Library search page.
Additional programs you and your child can benefit from include Wayne County’s Birth to Five and Union County’s Community Care. Birth to Five’s goal is aimed at preventing negative childhood outcomes. Many utilize their services for referrals to community resources, developmental screenings for children, and even personalized home visits. Community Care is a preschool program that offers Head Start services to qualifying families. Their actions prepare children for school, both socially and academically. Both of these programs invest in your children’s development in the years before they begin attending school. Our community is just as focused on your child’s development as you are. Let’s get them ready for the next step.
LEARN MORE ABOUT UNITED WAY OF WHITEWATER VALLEY
Now that you know how why reading by the end of third grade matters join us in our fight for the health, education, and financial stability of everyone in Wayne and Union counties by donating today.
Get to know more about our program partners working in our four focus areas: childhood success, youth success, economic mobility, and access to health. Read more about their stories here, or sign up for our newsletter to learn more about what we do at United Way of Whitewater Valley.
