Grade-Level Reading Discussion Thrives on Shared Goals and Resources
by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
Reading the Sun every week is a privilege. Perhaps you can’t quite remember that far back, but there was a time when you did not know how to read. The words on this page would have appeared meaningless and uninteresting.
But there was someone in your life who talked to you about letters. There was someone in your life who introduced you to the concept of syllables. There was someone in your life who showed you how to sound out fox and box and socks as he read you a Dr. Seuss book.
But beyond those people in your life who directly impacted your ability to learn how to read, there were others.
The postal carrier brought you that first piece of mail with your name on it. The cake decorator at Publix or Dairy Queen carefully spelled out Happy Birthday in icing on a special dessert. Your Sunday School teacher gave you words to the song you had to memorize for the church Easter program.
The written word was presented to you in many forms, across many sectors of your childhood experience. Each interaction with the English language strengthened your knowledge and understanding.
And now, today, you are reading these words that can lead you to new knowledge and understanding.
From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 11, Beth Duda and I will be leading a conversation about how five sectors in our community play a vital role in ensuring our youngest citizens are adequately prepared to read and succeed.
“Everyone has gifts that could benefit this movement,” said Beth Duda, Regional Director of Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. Beth is passionate about convening conversations where all five sectors (individuals, non-profits, businesses, media and government) come together to share knowledge and resources. We invite YOU to join this conversation, our Crucible of Practice, on March 11.
United Way of Charlotte County is the Charlotte County lead agency for the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (SCGLR). Part of the nationwide Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the Suncoast Campaign is a communitywide effort involving partners from all sectors throughout Charlotte, Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties. We are committed to closing achievement gaps, ending intergenerational poverty and reducing high school dropout rates by ensuring that our children are able to read proficiently by the end of third grade.
Based on the most recent Florida State Assessment results, with only 69% of students in Charlotte County reading on grade-level when leaving third grade, we had our work cut out for us even before COVID-19 hit. We are thrilled at the progress we have made since 2015 when only 50% of our students tested at grade-level reading at the end of third grade. But the pandemic and school closures have taken many of our students a step backwards in their individual progress, exacerbating learning loss for those who were already struggling.
Fortunately, as a result of the SCGLR’s Summer Reading Challenge and multiple agencies across our county working with students, 410 students completed the challenge, reading 15,955 books. More significantly, the vast majority of the students that participated in the reading challenge returned to school in the fall of 2020 with no reading skill loss.
Interventions do work. But they work best when we work together.
Here are some staggering figures:
- 88% of students who failed to earn a high school diploma were struggling readers in third grade.
- High school dropouts are not eligible for 90% of the jobs in the economy.
- High school dropouts have yearly earnings that are less than 50% of someone who earns a bachelor’s degree.
- High school dropouts make up nearly 50% of all heads-of-households on welfare.
This isn’t the future we want for Charlotte County children. Join us March 11 as we discuss what supports are already in place, and where you might fit into the solution for future success.
If you are able to read this column, I invite you to join the conversation to benefit those who are still struggling to read. Register for the event at www.unitedwayccfl.org/grade-level-reading.
For more information, please visit www.unitedwayccfl.org/grade-level-reading or call the United Way of Charlotte County at 941-627-3539. Mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty. Angie Matthiessen is the Executive Director of United Way of Charlotte County. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.