All photographs courtesy of ReadWorks
ReadWorks
Improving teacher effectiveness and student achievement
Of the various plights facing Americans today, one has gone overlooked: the reading comprehension crisis. And, yes, this is as critical as all the other front-page headlines in the news.
Consider this: Only 33% of U.S. fourth graders are proficient in reading. And research shows that when students are not proficient readers by this age, they are more likely to face negative outcomes, such as dropping out of school and lower lifetime earnings. We’re failing our children—and our educators, too, by not equipping them with the proper tools.
You can understand why this issue is so alarming—and why we need to take action now.
This quarter, Veronica Beard is proud to partner with ReadWorks, which is dedicated to solving America’s literacy crisis and student achievement gap by providing all educators and K-12 kids with the high-quality reading content and curricular supports they need—for free. Already, the program is used by nearly one million teachers and over 11.5 million students each year.
What sets ReadWorks apart from other similar organizations is research; the scientific study of reading is the bedrock of its world-class material. And the impact is real: Studies show using ReadWorks positively impacts students’ standardized reading test scores. The nonprofit is also committed to advancing educational equity and reaching students within under-resourced schools. The goal is one we can all get behind: ensuring that every child can become a successful—and joyful—reader.
We hope you join us. Motherhood has long been the backbone of Veronica Beard—the Veronicas are both parents, with eight children between them—and this cause is deeply important to us.
WHY THIS MATTERS
• Sixty-seven percent of U.S. fourth graders read below grade level. When you consider that reading is the foundation of education and learning, the implications are troubling.
• Although the reading crisis predates the pandemic, those years spent out of the classroom have only made things worse. In Virginia, for instance, one study found that early reading skills were at a 20-year low.
• Even now, as we’re in catch-up mode, students are getting dumbed-down, below-grade instruction—despite the fact that they perform just as well with grade-level work. The thinking is that the best way to educate kids is to give them easy stuff. Evidence points otherwise.
• When it comes to low-income students, the problem is only heightened. On average, there is 16% less educational funding provided per student in impoverished districts.
• Research shows that when students are not proficient readers at a young age, they are far less likely to complete high school, leading to serious consequences for the remainder of their lives. Without the ability to read and comprehend text on a page, students cannot succeed in school, get into and complete college, or secure well-paying jobs to support their families. They cannot easily fill out a job application, tax form or ballot.
• Nearly 85% of the juveniles who face trial in the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate, proving that there is a close relationship between illiteracy and incarceration. More than 60% of all inmates are functionally illiterate.
HOW YOUR DONATIONS HELP
• Readworks provides world-class content, high-impact instructional materials for educators and digital tools that enhance teacher effectiveness, resulting in improved student achievement—all for free. Since its launch in 2010, the nonprofit has served five million educators and 30 million students in all 50 states.
• Readworks continually evolves its online library platform, offering over 5,500 high-quality texts on a diverse range of subjects to complement every curriculum. All material undergoes rigorous fact-checking and sensitivity reviews.
• Readworks connects with low-income communities that need the most help. The program is used by one in three teachers in the highest-poverty K-12 schools.
• Readworks supports research to inform the greater education community. Its expert staff continuously runs multidimensional research studies and partners with world-renowned institutional partners for a science-backed approach to building crucial reading ability.
• Readworks is also conducting additional research to ensure that its products and tools are meeting the needs of all students, with a priority on English Language Learners (ELL) and students who benefit from differentiated learning products.
From now to the end of September, we will donate a portion of proceeds from every single veronicabeard.com order to ReadWorks, which is committed to solving America’s reading comprehension crisis and student achievement gap. #VBGIVESBACK
