They say numbers don’t lie. In some cases you wish they did. Across the US, only 2 out of 5 children can read at grade-level.
The literacy crisis in Sacramento has really mirrored that rate. About three years ago in Sacramento 2 out of 3 kids were not at grade-level reading.
“But now that number is 3 out 5,” said April Javis with the Sacramento Public Library Foundation.
“Kids are falling behind for three reasons. They’re not reading. They’re not reading in the summer. They’re not prepared for kindergarten. And, they’re truant. They’re missing too much school.”
“The Arden Arcade area, we’ve got some real trouble up there. And, South Sacramento there’s trouble there. The worst spots though are the Del Paso Heights area, Arden arcade area,” explained Javis.
“Dyer-Kelly which is an elementary [school] right kind of there at that borderline of county and city has a 97% rate of children not reading at grade-level. There are 400 kids, they’ve got like 12 who are reading at grade-level. That’s it,” added Javis.
Not reading at grade-level can make it difficult for students to fully participate in their education.
Javis says literacy comes with involvement. Knowing areas most impacted is a good place to start. You’ll find a literacy map and report card below. It will help you identify what’s happening in your community and schools in your area. Find ways to help when you can. Javis says the more people willing to help kids read the faster all kids will be reading and especially at grade-level.
One major step the organizers have taken is commissioning the first ever Sacramento County Community Literacy Map and Annual Literacy Report Card. The goal of the Map and the resulting Literacy Report Card is to identify where literacy resources are needed most in Sacramento County. This is a community-wide effort to help ALL children achieve grade-level reading and writing. The Literacy Report Card illustrates Sacramento County’s progress on key literacy indicators over time and details the results of for the most recent school year. Learn more here.