Children are reading on grade level by the 4th grade, a critical time when children transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”
30% of children from families with low income pass their 3rd grade reading STAAR test
Fourth grade marks a pivotal time in children’s development when they transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” If a student is not reading at grade level, they can fall behind. Students who are reading on grade level by fourth grade are four times more likely to graduate high school.
Currently in our community, only three in 10 children from families with low income are reading on grade level by the fourth grade — compared to six in 10 children from families with moderate to high income.
By increasing access to quality out-of-school learning opportunities, culturally relevant books, and building a community culture of reading, we can move the needle on grade-level reading rates in our community and create greater opportunity for local children and families.
Founded in 2021, the Greater Austin Reading Coalition is a diverse coalition of nonprofit and community leaders, librarians, teachers, and parents working toward a shared vision of supporting children, grades K-3, to ensure they are reading on grade level by the fourth grade — a pivotal point in a child’s reading development.
The Greater Austin Reading Coalition is convened by United Way for Greater Austin as part of our collective impact work to fight poverty.
$70,000
invested in local, community-based organizations to support literacy programs and services
$25,000
data
$16,500
summer literacy tutoring
books distributed to young readers in grades K-3
Instilling a love of reading in kids is critical to ensuring more children are reading at or above their grade level–a core piece of United Way’s mission to break the cycle of poverty in our community. That’s why the Greater Austin Reading Coal...
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This holiday season, be a champion of cheer and spread a little extra joy! We’re bringing together our friends and neighbors to spread good tidings through special holiday care packages for our early childhood educators who, year-round, continue...
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On April 28, more than 200 children and families gathered for the Greater Austin Reading Coalition’s first-ever Family Literacy Night at Sanchez Elementary School with coalition member Communities in Schools. Hosting family literacy nights and dist...
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Michelle Hutson-Crawford
Director of K-12 Education
Michelle.Hutson-Crawford@uwatx.org
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