WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR CHILDREN READ!
It was surprising to learn that the State of Texas uses 4th grade reading scores to project how many prison beds they will need in 10 years. The 12/25/10 Forbes Magazine article ‘A $5 Children's Book vs. a $47,000 Jail Cell- Choose One’ also reported that Texas was not the only state to use childhood illiteracy as a proxy for juvenile and adult incarceration later in life. Illiteracy is tightly interwoven with crime. Here are a few more facts I found interesting-
I was alarmed to read just how many children are at risk of falling victim to illiteracy. At the time of the Forbes article, 67% of American 4th graders could not read at the 4th grade level. So the questions becomes what is the smartest thing to do? What quality of life do we want out children to live as adults? Is it worth the effort to make sure our children learn to read? How do we make sure our children know how to read?
Will you partner with us to begin to instill active reading into the minds of our children? What good is life without the proper tools to find happiness and worth?
- Kids who don't read proficiently by 4th grade are 4 times likelier to drop out of school
Cullinan, Bernice E. "Independent Reading and School Achievement", American Association of School Librarians. Accessed February 2014 - Nearly 85% of the juveniles who face trial in the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate…. More than 60% of all inmates in US Prisons are functionally illiterate. One World Literacy Foundation.. "Illiteracy Statistics." One World Literacy. Accessed April 16, 2014.
- 75% of Americans who receive food stamps perform at the lowest 2 levels of literacy, and 90% of high school dropouts are on welfare. American Council on Education. "Literacy Facts > Literacy in America." Gaston Literacy Council, Inc. Accessed April 16, 2014. .
- Teenage girls ages 16 to 19 who live at or below the poverty level and have below average literacy skills are 6 times more likely to have children out of wedlock than the girls their age who can read proficiently. American Council on Education. "Literacy Facts > Literacy in America." Gaston Literacy Council, Inc. Accessed April 16, 2014.
- Inmates have a 35% less chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy instruction. Readinghorizons
I was alarmed to read just how many children are at risk of falling victim to illiteracy. At the time of the Forbes article, 67% of American 4th graders could not read at the 4th grade level. So the questions becomes what is the smartest thing to do? What quality of life do we want out children to live as adults? Is it worth the effort to make sure our children learn to read? How do we make sure our children know how to read?
Will you partner with us to begin to instill active reading into the minds of our children? What good is life without the proper tools to find happiness and worth?