10 stats you should know about Philly’s early literacy crisis and movement
The nation's early literacy crisis and its effects here in Philly are too dire to ignore.
Reading is the foundation of school and life success. When a child reads below grade level, it impacts their ability to learn every subject. The frustration often leads to increased behavioral issues and decreases the likelihood of high school graduation. From crashing confidence to stunting opportunities, the effects of literacy reach far beyond the classroom. But the story doesn’t end there.
Use these statistics to learn a bit more about Philly’s early literacy crisis and the many things happening in Philly to fight it. These are more than just numbers—they're someone's child struggling to get through a chapter, advocates working tirelessly to shake up broken systems, bright spots worth celebrating, and an opportunity to call for change.
71% of fourth graders in Philadelphia are not reading at grade level
SOURCE: Pennsylvania Department of Education and Elevate 215
Philly schools rank fourth from the bottom in reading of the 26 big-city districts
SOURCE: NAEP Reading Assessment
52% of adults in Philadelphia are functionally illiterate
SOURCE: Achieve Now
65% of Philly families report reading almost every day or more
SOURCE: Philly School Experience Survey
1,000+ Reading Captains are helping families in their community raise strong readers, one conversation at a time
SOURCE: Reading Captains, Global Citizen
44 Playful Learning installations are sparking curiosity and fun across Philadelphia.
SOURCE: Playful Learning Fellow, City of Philadelphia
54 public libraries serve the City of Philadelphia
SOURCE: Free Library of Philadelphia
4 affordable, after-school programs offer high-impact tutoring in Philadelphia
SOURCE: K-3 Out-of-School-Time Reading Support in Philadelphia, Strategic Roadmap, Bloom, 2021
1 certified librarian serves in the School District of Philadelphia—a system with over 120,000 students
SOURCE: National Center on Education Statistics, 2021-2022 SY
14 universities in Pennsylvania have committed to training the next generation of teachers in the Science of Reading by getting accredited in IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading
Everyone has a role to play to grow strong readers.
Let’s find yours.
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Teaching word reading with high-dosage synthetic phonics tutoring
Research, classroom strategies, workshops, and more to support you as you teach the next generation of readers.
In just one week, over 130 volunteers helped us pack 11,000 literacy kits and 16,000 children’s books!
Remember, every parent has the ability to teach their child to read.
Explore this list of ideas and resources to support young readers in Philadelphia.
We came together to commune, reflect, and celebrate another year of partnership-driven impact.
Read by 4th is working to support the highest quality teacher preparation in literacy instruction - so that all children learn to read.
Every child in Philadelphia deserves to have a school librarian.
We’ve gathered some data about Philly’s early literacy crisis and those fighting it.
A place to play is a place to learn.
And is a Neighborhood Literacy Fund awardee.
In addition to celebrating, make a point to better understand the early literacy crisis and how to get involved.
You can help our children learn, think about, and use new words.
Understanding how we measure performance is key to supporting young readers.
In SY22-23, CUNY Reading Corps will train 800 tutors to reach more than 2,700 early readers in NYC Department of Education schools.
Talking with our children helps boost brains. This acronym can help you find the right words.
The Book Wish program is helping distribute 75,000 culturally-relevant books across Philadelphia
How were our children hurt by the pandemic and what steps must be taken to start to heal?
Books in languages that reflect our community and the world.
These groups can help you find free books for Philly families.
Make sure you graduate ready to teach all children how to read.