Early Literacy is an Educational Priority

By Dr. Marina Merrill | NNPA(NNPA) – In 2023, the Oregon legislature launched the Early Literacy Success Initiative to help all students learn to read, as only 46% of students read proficiently by the end of grade 3. To support the initiative, the Children’s Institute (CI) partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest (REL Northwest) to compile accessible, evidence-based resources to support this effort and strengthen literacy practices for young children.Why early literacy mattersWhy focus on birth to grade 3? Early experiences shape the foundation for all future learning, with critical brain development occurring before age five. When young children develop strong language skills early on, they are better equipped to engage in learning and succeed academically. Children who fail to achieve reading proficiency by grade 3 are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Thus, early literacy is an educational priority and an equity issue, as it can help mitigate the effects of poverty and systemic inequities.Evidence-based early literacy resourcesPreschool students at the Preschool Promise program at the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees in Portland, Oregon.REL Northwest compiled vetted resources to support early literacy from ages 0–3 and preschool to grade 3. For children ages...