The United States is facing a serious literacy crisis that affects both children and adults nationwide.
Literacy challenges are widespread and persistent, shaping opportunities, outcomes, and life trajectories across generations. This crisis touches communities of every kind, influencing education, economic mobility, and the ability to fully participate in society. Despite decades of progress in some areas, far too many Americans continue to struggle with basic reading and writing skills, making literacy an urgent national challenge.
- Students who are not reading proficiently by the end of 3rd-grade are approximately 4 times more likely to drop out of high school than their proficient peers.
- In America, 31% of fourth-graders are at or above NAEP proficiency in reading.
- Approximately 54% of adults have literacy proficiency below a 6th-grade level. 20% are below a 5th-grade level.
The United States ranks 36th in literacy rates globally.
We have a plan to change that.
Help provide evidence-based literacy instruction to pre-K students while developing the next generation of educators.
Our Fellows, embedded in Pre-K classrooms, are changing how we teach literacy....
A total of 110 Literacy Lab Fellows served 1,751 students in our seven regions.
Students enrolled in Literacy Lab programming nationwide received over 73,256 instructions in the classroom.
Fellows implemented our programming with 92% fidelity to the model.
... and it shows.
2024-2025 End-of-Year Student Outcomes for Kindergarten Readiness:
"Your support...makes these [gains] possible for so many students and Fellows. Your faith in this work matters more than you know."
- Dr. Heather Jenkins, Ph.D., President and CEO
The Literacy Lab
8820 Monrovia
PO Box #14053
Lenexa, KS 66285
Please email giving@theliteracylab.org directly if you wish to give by stock or wire transfer.