The Silent Crisis That Is Hurting Our Future

There is a silent crisis happening in our community that isn’t being talked about enough. This crisis has the potential to impact us for generations to come if we don’t start to become more knowledgeable about what is happening.

Our kids are struggling to learn the foundational skills needed to be fluent readers. In a study done in 2020, only 18% of black 4th-grade students were reading at or above grade level. This was before the true academic impact of COVID could be measured.

By the end of third grade students should be able to fluently read. If students enter third grade without the foundational skills of reading, they are likely to struggle in comprehending academic content. There are many stakeholders that must collaborate in order for systematic change to occur, but that should not influence the ways we can develop our children’s reading skills at home. Yes, we should advocate for better literacy practices at our schools, but we must also take matters into our own hands because it truly takes a village to raise a child. 

Below I have provided some quick and easy practices to implement at home and attached some city literacy initiatives.

At-home Practices:

• Talk to your kids about EVERYTHING: It may sound crazy but language acquisition is one of the first steps to being a great reader. The more we talk to our kids, the more words they will be exposed to. 

• Read for the joy of it: Though reading is the access point to a wealth of knowledge, kids must first foster a love for reading. They have to be invested in the importance of reading. We have to allow our kids the opportunity to find their WHY and drive. The perfect way to foster a love for reading is to read books that they are interested in. 

• Encourage Storytelling. When kids have the opportunity to use their imagination, it promotes language and structure development. 

• Get involved and ask questions. As parents, we should be well informed about our children’s reading levels. We should ask questions about how reading is taught, assessed, and monitored at our kids' schools. Most importantly you should ask teachers how these skills can be practiced at home. When both parents and educators are streamlined on important practices and verbiage, it is easier for children to transfer skills. 

City Initiatives:

• STAIR provides FREE reading tutors for 1st-3rd grade public school students in parishes within the Greater New Orleans area.

• Canopy Tutoring provides Free literacy tutoring for any public school K-5 students reading below grade level. 

• R.E.A.D NOLA provides early literacy development through theater arts.

If you have any more helpful tips to assist our children in growing their literacy skills, be sure to comment them below!