Hanson Initiative: Learn About Literacy

Why Our Children Can't Read

There is a crisis of literacy in the country. Command of literacy skills by the end of third grade is a basic building block for future success in school. However, 40% of fourth graders do not have the basic reading skills to pass national standardized tests, and 74% of children who are poor readers in the third grade remain poor readers as they enter high school. Research shows that approximately 30% to 40% of all children need some structured, systematic instruction and a consistent core reading program to become good readers.