The 2020 election cycle has begun, and candidates from all parties are making their top issues clear. Alarmingly absent in the dialogue is the literacy crisis our nation is facing. The recently published 2019 findings of the ongoing study from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are the latest reminder, with almost two-thirds of fourth graders not reading proficiently in 2019 (and nearly 80 percent of economically disadvantaged fourth graders). Research shows that students who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate on time — hindering their chances to live happy, healthy, productive lives.
As a result of the lack of political prioritizing of literacy in the 2020 election rhetoric, Reading Partners has launched a nonpartisan campaign, #ReadingMatters2020, to ensure voters of all stripes are hyper-aware of the critical role reading plays in ensuring bright futures for all U.S. students.
#ReadingMatters2020 highlights three key actions people can take to strengthen their local communities by advocating and activating around early literacy.
*Contribute – Become a volunteer tutor or donor with a proven program like Reading Partners to help young students build the reading skills and confidence they will need to reach their full potential.
*Share – Share the #ReadingMatters2020 campaign video to spread the word about the positive ripple effect that comes from helping a child learn to read.
*Advocate – Tell your local, state and national elected officials that literacy is an important issue they cannot ignore.
The link between literacy and democracy: The 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results showed that only 14 percent of U.S. students can distinguish between fact and opinion writing, pointing to a lack of general reading comprehension and signaling a risk in accurately processing information in the years to come. Not only does literacy put young students on a path to success in school and in life, but it also helps fuel a healthy, inclusive democracy—by learning to read, the next generation of voters will be better informed and more civically active.
To become a volunteer with Reading Partners go to readingpartners.org, or to learn more about the #ReadingMatters2020 campaign, visit readingpartners.org/readingmatters2020 today.