United Way of Wyoming Valley currently has six reading initiatives that focus on addressing the underlying challenges that can keep young children, especially those in low-income families, from learning to read proficiently. By eliminating the barrier of access to books, we are working to help young children achieve success in reading by 3rd grade.
Reading Initiatives
THE CAMPAIGN FOR GRADE-LEVEL READING
United Way of Wyoming Valley has taken a big step toward improving student success in our area by joining the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR), a nationwide movement to increase early reading proficiency. Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone toward high school graduation and success later in life because it marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” National tests show that two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders (four-fifths of whom are from low-income families) are not reading proficiently. Students who have not mastered reading by that time are more likely to drop out of high school and struggle throughout their lives.