Childhood Literacy

A problem that I believe is becoming a bigger issue now, than ever is the underdevelopment of childhood literacy. In the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test, sixty percent of fourth graders across the United States are not reading at grade level. Since 2013, the numbers of under developed reading skills in young children have only increased. In 2015, the same test came back but the number of students not meeting their benchmark was sixty-six percent, which is two-thirds of children set up for failure at such a young age.
I think to solve this problem action needs to be taken in not only making reading a fun experience for students, but also providing young students with books to read at their own grade level. A

number of students claim that they don't read at home, simply because of the fact that they don’t have books to read. I believe that one step we could possibly take to dwindling these numbers could be having a book drive, as well as setting up book drop locations. These book drop locations could easily be at any public library, where people could anonymously drop books that they’re no longer in need of and they would later be donated to young students at local public schools. A volunteer from this program would be assigned to pick up the books every week, and distribute them to schools in need of books for their students.
This is so near and dear to my heart, because my grandmother is a learning disability intervention teacher for students grade fourth through sixth. She has taught me how important teaching children to read at such a young age, really is. My sister has been diagnosed with a Developmental Disorder, which means she comprehends things at a slower rate than other children her age. Though she, as well as others cannot control her disability, her Intervention teachers have helped so much in her learning experience, and I know my family is beyond grateful for that. All of these things combined, as well as my love for the youth, has influenced me to want to become an early childhood development teacher that is also specialized in disabilities. If I can teach children at a young age, not only how to read, but the importance of reading then I will have fulfilled my dream of changing a student’s life for the better. Knowing that they will have the same opportunities as other children, as well as having a child excited to go home and read a book on their own time will be so rewarding in itself.