Help Us Address America’s Growing Literacy Crisis: The Time to Act is Now

The United States is facing a critical literacy crisis that threatens the future of our children and the health of our society. Our nation's literacy rate is alarmingly low, with 79% of adults able to read, but over half of them struggling with texts beyond a 6th-grade level. Compared to countries like Russia, China, and many European nations where literacy rates soar above 90%, we are falling behind—and we know exactly where the problem begins.

It starts in the 4th grade, where students are being passed to the next level despite being two to three years behind in reading proficiency. The consequences of this educational gap are severe: 80% of students who fail to read at grade level by the 4th grade will eventually drop out of high school. We have the knowledge and the tools to change this, but we need your help.

Our nonprofit organization is dedicated to one critical mission: reversing reading deficits and correcting literacy mistakes to ensure that students don't become part of the 80% high school dropout statistic. We know that failing to graduate from high school is a life sentence of struggle, with consequences that ripple throughout a person's life and across society as a whole:

• 75% of crimes in the U.S. are committed by high school dropouts.
• Dropouts are at significantly higher risk for mental illness, suicide, incarceration, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
• High school dropouts cost our nation $240 billion in lost tax revenue and increased social service expenditures.
• If we could increase the male high school graduation rate by just 5%, the U.S. could save $18.5 billion annually in crime-related costs.

While this reading crisis impacts students across all economic backgrounds, the problem is particularly acute among low-income families. Today, nearly 10 million low-income 4th graders are reading below grade level. These are the students we aim to serve.

We have a plan—and it works.

At Camp Crowne Point, I currently teach reading as a volunteer in an after-school program. Every one of our students comes from a low-income, crime-ridden neighborhood, and the statistics are stark: 28 out of 40 students are reading two to three years below their grade level. While I can only teach three at a time, we know many more need immediate help.

Our solution? The Corrective Reading™ (CR) program—a scientifically backed, peer-reviewed reading intervention with over 40 years of proven success. I’ve used CR with tremendous results for over 25 years, helping students overcome significant reading dysfunction. Now, we need your support to expand our reach.

With your funding, we can scale this effort by training college students as paid interns to become CR instructors. Instead of serving just a handful of students, we will create a sustainable model that allows us to reach more children who are falling through the cracks of the education system.

How your funds will be used:

• Recruitment and training for student interns
• Purchase of Corrective Reading™ instructional manuals
• Purchase of student textbooks and workbooks
• Stipends for student interns

Every dollar raised will go directly to these critical needs—no funds will be used for administrative or facility costs.

The time to act is now. By addressing reading deficits in 4th graders, we can prevent a lifetime of challenges for these children and reduce the enormous economic and social costs our country bears due to high school dropouts. Join us in changing the future, one reader at a time. Together, we can stop this crisis at its source.

Will you help us make sure no child gets left behind?