Brown students rapidly approaching finals period are more likely to be concerned by the sheer number of unread pages than how to read them. But for the millions of Americans and about 8 percent of Rhode Islanders who lack basic literacy skills, even reading this sentence would be impossible.
Chronic illiteracy has been called a social problem, a moral problem and an economic problem - a report from ProLiteracy, an international nonprofit focused on helping adults learn to read and write, said illiteracy costs America $240 billion each year. But a new citywide initiative called Providence Reads is trying to target the problem at its source - the fourth grade. Currently, only 46 percent of Providence fourth-grade students are reading at grade level.
"Research shows that low-income children who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are up to 13 times more likely to drop out of school," according to the city press release announcing the initiative. As part of the Providence Reads program, the city has set the goal of helping 70 percent of fourth-graders read at grade level by 2015.
Students who are reading below grade level at the end of third grade rarely manage to recoup those skills in later years, falling behind and never catching up, said Angela Romans, a senior advisor on education to Mayor Angel Taveras and architect of the Providence Reads program. But recently, Providence's education system has been recognized as a leader in promoting early literacy, Romans said. These efforts are meant to preempt the chronic difficulties facing high school students and adults who cannot read, she added.
The city's multi-pronged approach focuses on raising awareness among parents and the community about the importance of grade-level reading, improving readiness for kindergarten, raising attendance rates, increasing access to books and implementing summer learning for young students.
The Providence school system has a high proportion of low-income students - over 80 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch - adding unique challenges to the fight for grade-level reading, Romans said. Students from low-income backgrounds come into kindergarten behind their peers, and the gap often widens if attendance is inconsistent.
Low-income students have less access to books than their peers, Romans said. They also hear fewer words in total, a deficit with wide implications for literacy, she added. A ProLiteracy study shows that low-income children hear about 30 million fewer words before the age of three than their more affluent peers.
These problems inspired the mayor to seek book donations and to work to bring students to city libraries. Providence Reads also brings community volunteers who read to students into schools.
The city is also increasing the connections between early care centers and kindergartens. These links aim to make the transition to kindergarten and real classwork easier on students, Romans said. This early childhood innovation has brought national distinction to Providence, she said. In July, the National Civic League selected Providence as one of 14 All-American Cities for its plan to improve third grade reading levels.
But many of these initiatives hinge on parent involvement and community understanding of the importance of improving children's reading ability, Romans said.
Providence's school system also faces the challenge of encouraging parents who work night shifts to bring their children to school in the morning, Romans said. Providence is now opening elementary schools early to better accommodate parents' schedules. The city has also established a "walking school bus," where volunteers walk students to school every morning.
These outreach efforts will also help parents understand the importance of kindergarten and early childhood education.
Funding for Providence Reads comes mostly from grants and contributions from local businesses. But Taveras' leadership has put the city on the national map, and some large foundations have pitched in to help subsidize these programs, Romans said. In addition to receiving contributions from local businesses - Walgreens has promised a monetary contribution and 20 weekly volunteers to read to children, and GTECH has spent $10,000 to adopt a classroom - the city has received recognition from foundations like the Bloomberg Philanthropies, an organization started by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Though the state government is not directly involved in this initiative, Elliot Krieger, the executive assistant for communications in the office of the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said the state was happy with Providence's efforts and hopeful that the city can raise its literacy rates. "What we like about Providence is they're involving the whole community," he said. "After all, they say reading is fundamental."
