Literacy
Read Across America UNITED WAY OF SAN DIEGO HELPS MIND THE GAP
Kids start out with big dreams for when they grow up . Reading is crucial for children to reach their goals of becoming future astronauts , veterinarians , doctors , firefighters , video game developers and pilots . For many kids , those dreams slip away . Not just because they become more practical or “ grow up ”, but because of disparities in education and lack of family stability that hold them back .
Access to books and not reading at grade level are big reasons why dreams slip away for children . We know that kids who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school . Before the COVID-19 pandemic , 45 % of San Diego County ’ s third graders were not reading at grade level - and that was before school closures and virtual learning exacerbated inequitable access to high-quality learning opportunities .
42 GBSAN . COM | MARCH 2022