Learning to Read: A Right or a Privilege?

What if all the children in the world could read and write? This simple but poignant question is posed by LitWord.org. Many of us take it for granted that children will have access to books and will learn to read, but did you know:

• Nearly a billion people entered the 21t century unable to read a book or sign their name.
• According to the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 37 percent of fourth graders and 26 percent of eighth graders cannot read at the basic level.
• As recently as 2006, more than 8 million U.S. students in grades 4-12 struggle to read, write, and comprehend adequately.
• Children in poor families are less likely to be read to daily.
• Across the globe nearly 171 million children could be lifted out of poverty if they left school with basic reading and writing skills.
• Reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for building knowledge required for eventual success in reading.

Today is World Read Aloud Day. I challenge you to read aloud to a child today. If you don’t have a child to read to, pass this information onto someone who does and encourage them to read to a child today. Learning to read is a RIGHT, not a privilege.

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