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accessHealthNews.net
March 2024
Volume 10 | Issue No. 82
Decades of research have proven that
teaching a child to read in the earliest
elementary school grades is a crucial
indicator of future success in school and
life. Failing to do so can have devastating
personal and societal consequences. Low
literacy rates are linked to higher poverty
rates, lower educational attainment, and
increased likelihood of incarceration.
The webinar "Equity Through Early
Literacy Webinar: The Foundations of
Early Reading as a Tool for Equity," hosted
by the Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education,
discussed barriers to providing high-quality,
evidence-based early literacy foundations
and explored solutions to ensure more
equitable reading outcomes for all
students.
Why early literacy matters
Researchers at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill examined the
relationship between early literacy and a
range of later social outcomes. They found
direct correlations between a solid literacy
foundation by the fourth grade and how
those same students navigated life in their
late teens and early 20s.
Results of the study showed students with
below-average reading ability in grades 3
and 4:
· Have 25% less household income in their
early to mid-20s.
· Are twice as likely not to apply to or
attend college.
· Are 50% more likely to be unemployed in
their early to mid-20s.
· Are 25% more likely to report substance
abuse in their early to mid-20s.
· Are 33% more likely to report feeling
depressed in their early to mid 20s.
READ MORE
"There can be no equity, no social justice,
without literacy."
- Kareem Weaver
