This new Ohio program wants to guarantee kids can read by 3rd grade

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Columbus and Franklin County officers are working to make sure that every youngster can efficiently learn by the third grade.

The initiative is known as “Success By Third Grade,” an funding of $1 million to extend literacy, attendance, and studying comprehension for college students in Franklin County.

“Studying proficiency on the finish of third grade, is the best predictor of highschool commencement,” mentioned Lisa Courtice, president and CEO of United Method of Central Ohio.

This system is run by way of United Method of Central Ohio, and can deal with non-academic points comparable to poverty, lack of assets, and psychological well being, which had been all exacerbated through the pandemic.

“They’ve labored so laborious over the previous two years, so for us to have the ability to, as a group lean in, and say we are going to assist the non-academic boundaries which are holding youngsters again, and that’s what this motion is about,” Courtice mentioned.

Earlier than the pandemic, seven out of sixteen Franklin County college districts had third-grade proficiency charges underneath 75%. These numbers have solely decreased through the pandemic.

“We all know that to deal with any points educationally, we’ve to give attention to third grade first,” mentioned Melvin Brown, superintendent for Reynoldsburg Metropolis Faculties.

Reynoldsburg Metropolis Faculties is a type of seven districts receiving assist from the “Success By Third Grade” initiative, together with Gahanna-Jefferson, Whitehall, Groveport Madison, South-Western, Westerville, and Columbus Metropolis Faculties. However, their purpose isn’t simply to extend studying contained in the classroom, however outdoors of it as properly.

“Educating children isn’t merely about them coming by way of college doorways and sitting in lecture rooms, it’s about how they’re studying issues culturally, it’s about how they’re turning into and having an understanding of who they’re and what they need to do. All that comes from literacy,” Brown mentioned.