Introduction
A child who has not mastered their foundational literacy skills in the early years will have a rippling effect that can extend throughout their entire life. Education is scaffolding, which builds upon previous skills learned, therefore gaps get wider as the years pass on by. Reading difficulties not only hinder academic success, but they also affect self-esteem, social development, and future career opportunities. For this reason, not only is the national crisis within the public school systems...but this build up has also began to affect the adults in our nation. Although 79% of our American adults are literate, about half of our nations adults are reading at a 6th grade level (NAEP, 2022). Which in the eyes of business leaders and innovators, should be unacceptable.
The Connection Between Literacy and Life Outcomes
The future of our workforce lies in the hands of teachers and parents. Not only is the overall well-being at stake at the individual level, but a person's health, income, and reach at the societal level as well. Since self-esteem is affected reasonable choices, capabilities, and growth mindset are all hindered, which impacts society. Since social development is affected relationships, connection, and ability to ask for help are hindered, which impacts society. Since career opportunities are affected, income, knowledge, and financial independence are hindered, which impacts society. When we take a holistic view of individuals as working members of functioning teams, which make up families, workplaces, and the nation, we can realize that every individual matters. And we who are aware of the impact of these issues, should be leading the charge in ensuring these needs are met first at the individual level, which begins at home. And if those pleas have not convinced you, more logically, according to the national literacy institute, low levels are costing our nation more than 2.2 trillion dollars every year (National Institute for Literacy, 2024). So business leaders, take note.
Parent Involvement as Early Intervention
As mentioned in previous the previous blogpost, parents can play a proactive role in addressing reading difficulties before they become serious issues. Recognizing the signs of literacy struggles early—such as difficulty recognizing letters, slow reading progress, or frustration with reading—allows parents to work with teachers and seek additional support. Though, in the midst of busy lives and parents own educational set backs or other extraneous circumstances, many parents struggle finding ways to actually target this need.
How Leaders and Businesses CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Therefore, many schools are making great efforts in offering resources like reading programs, tutoring, and workshops for parents to help children improve their literacy skills. What else can we do? What else can we emphasize to ensure our children are getting to where they need to be, all while understanding the family dynamic as well? Please join the conversation and let's call out each individual family to growth!
What are some effective ways businesses are helping mitigate these issues?
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References
Bauld, A. (2023). Reading In The Balance: Love It Or Hate It, The Science Of Reading Gains Traction In
Schools. School Library Journal, 69(5), 32. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?
National Institute for Literacy: Literacy Statistics 2024-2025 (Where are we now).
U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education
Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2022 Reading Assessment.
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