MOBILIZING CHURCHES TO SOLVE THE AMERICAN LITERACY CRISIS
MOBILIZING CHURCHES TO SOLVE THE AMERICAN LITERACY CRISIS
MOBILIZING CHURCHES TO SOLVE THE AMERICAN LITERACY CRISIS
MOBILIZING CHURCHES TO SOLVE THE AMERICAN LITERACY CRISIS
Reading proficiency in the United States is appallingly low and only getting worse:
The percentage of eighth-graders’ reading below NAEP Basic was the largest in the assessment’s history, and the percentage of fourth-graders who scored below NAEP Basic was the largest in 20 years.
Only 31% of fourth-grade students performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level on the 2024 NAEP reading assessment.
The most notable challenges evident in the 2024 NAEP data are in reading comprehension
Reading scores dropped in both fourth and eighth grades since 2022.
Why should this matter to Christians?
Jesus Christ calls his followers to love their neighbors (Matt. 22:39) and be faithful gospel witnesses in their local community (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Local missions can look different in different contexts. Some churches may find literacy instruction an effective way to build longer-term gospel relationships in their community.
Illiteracy prevents people from being able to read and study the Bible.
Illiteracy threatens American freedoms such as free speech, religious freedom, and our representative form of government.
Illiteracy undermines American ideals and our important role in the world.
Illiteracy weakens the ability of individuals and families to thrive independently from the government.
While many organizations address literacy, Read the Word(s) seeks to launch a nationwide movement of churches motivated by God’s glory and love of neighbor to solve this crisis.
"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." Jeremiah 29:7 - ESV
The Solution
Churches have long served their communities by providing educational services. Toward the end of the eighteenth century churches in England established “Sunday Schools” to educate orphans and poor children from working class families. The “Sunday School” movement soon spread to the United States, where prior to mandatory school attendance laws, churches played a key role in providing basic education for children. For the most part, churches have stopped serving their community in this way, and have left reading instruction to the government. This partly explains the current illiteracy crisis.
We believe that churches should step back into this role of loving and serving their local communities by meeting this critical educational need.
