Building Strong Readers is a Community Investment
A child’s ability to read will shape the trajectory of their entire life. Literacy is the foundation for students to build their education, confidence and capacity to learn, grow and impact the world around them.
In fact, a 2006 report from ACT Education showed that students who are college-ready in reading are more likely to enroll in college, earn course grades of a B or better and persist to a second year at the same college.
With that in mind, recent literacy data from states such as Indiana and Michigan is not just a cause for concern; it is a call to action.
In Indiana, third grade IREAD-3 proficiency dipped significantly from its peak more than a decade ago before steadily improving over the last few years. In Michigan, recent M-STEP results show that fewer than four in 10 third graders are proficient in reading. These are just two examples of a larger trend across the country where students are arriving at critical points in their education without the foundational skills they need to learn successfully.
How States Can Support Literacy
The challenge is significant but there is reason for optimism. States are increasingly recognizing that improving literacy requires both a commitment to what works and a willingness to invest in the people leading our classrooms who are responsible for putting those practices into action.
Indiana offers one example. Lilly Endowment Inc. invested more than $20 million in 28 Indiana colleges and universities through its Advancing the Science of Reading initiative, helping to train and strengthen how future educators are teaching reading. That investment is part of a broader $111 million commitment to early literacy in Indiana.
Michigan is taking action as well. Recent legislation requires elementary teachers to complete training in the Science of Reading. Michigan’s educator preparation programs are also strengthening how future teachers learn evidence-based literacy instruction. The state’s 2027 education budget includes significant investments in Science of Reading training, literacy coaching, research-based curricula and tutoring.
These efforts are critical steps in the right direction because we know how children are taught to read matters. The Science of Reading draws on decades of research about how K-12 students learn to read and emphasizes evidence-based approaches to foundational skills such as phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
But preparing teachers efficiently and investing in effective instruction are only one part of a much larger solution. Literacy is also a community endeavor.
Reading is a Community Effort
Teachers are on the front lines but they can’t carry this responsibility alone. Parents and caregivers are a child’s first teachers. Even reading together for just 20 minutes each day can help make literacy a part of a child’s everyday routine.
Additionally, libraries provide access to books and opportunities to discover the joy of reading. Community organizations can provide tutoring and mentorship. Businesses are also a part of the formula. By partnering with schools, businesses are shaping the future of our workforce. College students, retirees, and other volunteers can give their time to help young readers build confidence and skills.
Reading fluently, understanding complex ideas, building vocabulary, communicating clearly and thinking critically become the foundation for everything children will eventually be asked to do in higher education and the workforce.
The Role of Higher Education
Colleges and universities therefore have a unique role to play at both ends of this continuum. We prepare many of the educators who will shape a child’s earliest experiences with reading and we eventually welcome those children into our institutions as college students.
The encouraging news is that we do not have to solve this challenge alone. Indiana and Michigan have demonstrated what is possible when state leaders, educators and higher education institutions commit to evidence-based literacy practices. Lasting progress will require all of us to recognize that helping children become strong readers must happen inside and outside of school.
If we want to prepare children for success in the classroom, careers and life, we must start by giving them the foundation to learn. Investing in literacy today is the first step towards improving the future of higher education, our workforce and the communities we call home.
