Reading is Fundamental
Reading is the gateway to knowledge and future opportunity for students. Unfortunately, California is facing a literacy crisis in part due to some school districts' usage of instructional materials and practices based on outdated and ineffective approaches to reading instruction. This instruction is not supported by the decades of interdisciplinary research known collectively as the "science of reading."
Our children need a strong reading foundation that fosters academic and social-emotional development while preventing disparities in achievement and opportunity for the state's most vulnerable students. Too many kids in California are still not being taught with evidence-based instructional materials and not all educators have been afforded the proper training necessary to effectively teach reading.
To combat this, Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) is partnering closely with the California Early Literacy Coalition to ensure an evidence-based approach to teaching California's elementary school students how to read.
Current State of Reading Proficiency in CA
Nearly 178,000 3rd-grade students (70%) from low-income communities are not meeting state standards for English language arts (ELA), and the vast majority of those falling behind are disproportionately low-income Black and Latino children, English learners, and students with disabilities. This is not a matter of ability, but a matter of how we are currently teaching our children to read.
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By 3rd grade, students move from learning to read to reading to learn, and those who are not on grade level at this point rarely catch up in their academic journey.
Take Action
If you believe that California has a moral obligation to provide all of our children with the opportunity to reach their full potential, please consider the following actions to support teaching kids to read effectively.