Why Is Reading Essential to Success?

Individuals are stronger when they are literate or able to read and write, and strong individuals can unite in creating strong families, communities, states, and nations.

In an article published at The Deseret News, the Center for the School of the Future (CSF) shared ideas that affect reading abilities in students. The Utah Legislature established the CSF at Utah State University “to collaborate with public education stakeholders to improve student academic outcomes.” 

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is serious about improving the reading performance of students in Utah. One of the ways to do so is to understand how essential it is to protect truth. Part of protecting truth is to identify “persistent myths about early reading and replacing them with what research shows.

Research shows that less than 50% of third graders in Utah can read on grade level (proficient). Other states could have similar or lower percentages of students who can read at grade level. This should be of critical concern for Americans because students have difficulty catching up later and reading skills are essential for academic success as well as success in life.

CSF shared the following information to show the importance of reading at grade level by the third grade.

Research provides a clear answer: Third grade reading proficiency is one of the strongest predictors of long-term academic, economic and life success. It marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” When students are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade:

·         Catching up becomes significantly more difficult.

·         Academic struggles increase in middle and high school.

·         Disengagement and disruptive behavior become more likely.

·         Dropout risk increases by roughly four times.

·         Long-term educational and career prospects decline sharply.

These are well-established facts. Yet several myths continue to obscure them.

Here we address five such myths currently occurring in public discussion about early reading. Others will undoubtedly emerge and must also be confronted over time.

Myth 1: Learning to read is natural.

Fact: Learning to read is not natural.

The human brain is not biologically wired to read in the way it is wired to walk or talk. The brain is wired to learn spoken language (talking and listening) without formal instruction. Reading is fundamentally different. Neuroscience shows that:

·         Humans were never wired to read.

·         A reading brain is neurologically different from a nonreading brain.

·         Reading requires the brain to reorganize and repurpose existing neural structures.

·         If reading were biologically wired, dyslexia and students who struggle to learn to read would not exist.

·         While a few children learn to read “naturally” without any instructions, most do not.

·         With high-quality instructions, 90-95% of children can learn to read.

Myth 2: Children learn to read simply by being read to or by reading on their own.

Fact: Most children must be taught to read through formal instruction.

Reading aloud to children is valuable – it builds vocabulary and shows that print carries meaning. However, it does not teach children how to decode written language. Only a very small percentage of children – less than 5% -- learn to read independently without instruction. The vast majority require explicit, structured and systematic teaching to become skilled readers.

 

Myth 3: Because Utah students perform relatively well on the fourth grade National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), students are doing well enough.

Fact: “Well enough” is not good enough.

Utah fourth graders outperform those in most other states on NAEP reading, but this is not cause for celebration. In 2024, only 36% of Utah fourth graders scored at the proficient or advanced level on NAEP. That means nearly two-thirds did not meet proficiency. If research shows that 90-95% of students can learn to read, then far better outcomes should be achievable. Indeed, some Utah school systems have already demonstrated trajectories that approach this goal.

Myth 4: Third graders who are not proficient readers are “illiterate.”

Fact: Illiteracy is a term for adults --  not children.

Labeling children as “illiterate” is inaccurate and counterproductive. Illiteracy refers to adults who cannot read or write. Children are learners. We do not label students who struggle with fractions as “mathematically illiterate” or those learning budgeting as “financially illiterate.” The accurate term is “nonproficient readers,” children who can read but are not yet meeting expectations.

Moreover, the word, “literacy” itself has become so broadly applied – financial literacy, health literacy, gardening literacy – that it has lost precision….

Myth 5: You don’t need strong reading skills to succeed today.

Fact: Proficient reading matters more than ever in the 21^st century.

Whether students attend college, pursue technical training or enter the workforce directly, strong reading skills are essential. They matter because:

·         Reading underpins all later learning.

·         Most jobs require interpreting complex texts and digital information.

·         Strong reading is linked to higher graduation rates, better health outcomes, lower incarceration rates and greater economic stability.

·         Civic life depends on citizens’ ability to read and understand complex documents – legal, medical, financial and governmental.

Early reading success matters profoundly. So does high-quality reading instruction and early identification of struggling readers. These arguments are not an indictment of teachers – nothing matters more to teachers than their students’ success….

Reading, the Gift that Keeps on Giving

                Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when the rising generation knows how to read.  One of the greatest gifts we can give to our children and/or grandchildren is to teach them to read well and enjoy it.  I learned to read in school, but I learned to enjoy reading by seeing my mother sit down with a good book at the end of long, hard days on the farm.  I followed my mother’s example and taught my own children to enjoy reading, and now my children are teaching their children the value of reading for pleasure.  Several of them have gotten in trouble with their teachers because they read instead of  listening.  One of my greatest joys is to see my grandchildren engrossed in good books. 

                This love for reading was passed down from my mother.  I can still see her sitting on the door of the oven to our old coal and wood stove reading a book.  She particularly enjoyed western novels, but she read many other writings.  She showed by her example that reading was a good thing in her life.  When I started school in the first grade, I was more than ready to learn how to read, and I became one of the better readers in the class.  I still love to read!

                A child, teenager, or adult who does not know how to read feels much like a second-class citizen.  Those of the younger generation who struggle with reading are embarrassed and often act out in school or church classes rather than be called upon to read.  I know a young man who desired to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but he could not put his papers in for a mission until he read the Book of Mormon – Another Witness of Jesus Christ.  He had many friends who were also preparing to serve missions; they individually worked with their friend until he completed the book.  He was an excellent reader as he read from the scriptures while giving his homecoming address to our ward.  He was a good missionary because he could read, and he gained the ability to further his education after his mission.

                Dawan Coombs, an Assistant Professor of English at Brigham Young University, is a former high school English teacher and now does research of struggling readers.  She listed several ideas for how we can strengthen struggling readers, some of which are as follows. 

                  (1) Give them a “strong support environment.”  Help them to “feel safe” in attending and participating in our family scripture study or

church classes. Be careful about inviting them to read in class before they are ready and possibly give them some advance notice.

                  (2) Teach “scripture stories through audiovisual resources or pictures” before expecting them to comprehend what they read.  When they know the basic story, they can “concentrate on understanding principles or themes” rather than “tracking characters and plot lines.”

                  (3) Be sure to “distinguish between actions and identities.”  We should never confuse what someone does with who they are.  A struggling reader has just as much worth as anyone else.  When we help someone to overcome a struggle, we help them to understand their full potential as a child of God.

                  (4) Ask God for help.  Ether 12:23-28 contains a lesson taught to Moroni by God.  Moroni was afraid that people would mock his writings because of his weakness.  God told him, “fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness.

                  “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                Prayer helps both the parent/teacher and the struggling reader.  One of the best ways to teach children to read is to have them take part in family scripture study.  Several of my children give their children an opportunity to “read” scriptures when they are two or three years old.  The parent reads a few words of a verse and waits while the child repeats the words.  Then a few more words are given, and the child repeats them.  This teaches the child several things:  (1) Each child is an important part of the family.  (2) The basic scripture story.  (3) Scripture language.  Gradually, each child begins to sound out the words on the page and eventually is truly reading the scriptures.  I have been amazed at how well my young grandchildren read the big words in the scriptures.

                The ability to read well is very important to building self-esteem as well as success in school.  When a child or youth reads and loves reading, they are more prepared to strengthen their family, community, and nation.

Encourage Reading

                    Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when we as parents, leaders and teachers encourage the rising generation to read.  The ability to read is vital to survival as adults; the ability to read well leads to success; the love of reading brings many hours of enjoyment.  I encourage parents to make reading an important part of the lives of their family members and to develop life-long readers.

                    I believe that children and youth are influenced by many different people - parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, and other leaders.  I believe that we can influence others best by modeling the behavior we desire in others.  In this case, we can influence others to read by showing them that reading is important. 

Many families make weekly trips to the library to check out books.  Having new books in the house is an excellent opportunity to read aloud to the children.  New parents seem to automatically read to their new baby, but reading seems to fall by the wayside as the baby grows.   Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, elementary school children, teenagers, and even adult children enjoy hearing their mother read to them.  I remember a camping trip that my family took a few years ago.  We rented canoes and made our way through a system of lakes to our camping spot.   I pulled a book out of my pack and was pleased to hear my college-age daughter say, "Read to us, Mom."  We had a delightful time reading around the campfire that evening.

I like to have a book with me wherever I go.  Carrying a book is such an easy thing to do, but it is also very rewarding.  I am thrilled when I see my children and grandchildren bring books along on vacations.  Some of the children read in the car as the family travels.  All of them enjoy reading before bedtime.  One of my granddaughters takes so many books to bed with her that there is hardly room for her in the bed!  My older sister brought several of her grandchildren with her to our family reunion.  Some of the grandchildren were old enough to drive; my sister read to them as they traveled.  The book she read was Mrs. Mike.

                    Regan McMahon posted an article entitled "How to Raise a Reader" that listed many different things that parents can do to encourage reading in their homes.  Here are her suggestions for developing life-long reading:  1) Read aloud to children.  2) Savor the series.  Children can get hooked on reading by becoming very interested in a long story.  3) Grab onto a genre.  Help your children to find something that truly interests them.  4) Feed the favorite-author addiction.  5) Count on the Classics.  Classics are books that generation after generation enjoys.  I have found that children especially enjoy books that their parents read. 

6) Find books about the things your kid loves whatever it is - horses, cars, trains, wild animals, circuses, etc.  7) Funny is fine.  Children love to read books about other children and their escapades.  8) Comics are OK.  Graphic novels are one of the latest trends in reading.  Even comic books are okay because reading is reading!  9) Make reading a family value.  Make sure your children know that you value books and the ability to read.  Let them see you reading newspapers, books, magazines, etc.

                    Children, teenagers, and college students are back in school now or will soon be in school.  This is a great time of the year to establish new habits, and reading is an excellent habit to develop.  When we encourage the rising generation to read good books, we are strengthening not only our family but our community and nation.

Value Reading

                    Families are strengthened when parents value reading skills and teach their children to enjoy reading.  The ability to read is one of the greatest skills that parents and teachers can help children to develop.  Being able to read quickly with understanding will help children to become better students and more valuable in the work place.

                    Regan McMahon wrote an article entitled "How to Raise a Reader" and gave nine ways to nurture a love of reading.  The nine ways are:  1) Read aloud; 2) Savor the series; 3) Grab onto a genre; 4) Feed the favorite-author addiction; 5) Count on the Classics; 6) Find books about the things your kid loves; 7) Funny is fine; 8) Comics are OK; 9) Make reading a family value.

                    "Fit reading into your family lifestyle.  Set aside time for reading only - turning off the TV, computer, and cell phone.  Encourage focused reading time, either for independent reading or reading aloud.  Take preschoolers to story time hours at libraries and bookstores.  For older kids, a parent-kid book club can be fun.  Read to kids at bedtime.  Provide time and space for your kids to read for pleasure in the car (if they don't get car sick!), on vacation, after homework is done, on their own before bed.  Warning:  It could be habit-forming!"

                    I remember seeing my mother reading; this is one of the strongest memories I have of her.  I think that reading a book was one, if not the only, thing my mother did for pure pleasure.  She liked cowboy stories, and Zane Grey was one of her favorite authors.  Her children followed her example and read also.  I wanted my children to value reading and started buying books for them before they could even crawl.  All six of them love to read, and they are teaching their own children to love reading.  The one Christmas gift that I give to my children and grandchildren every year is a book.  This is my way of encouraging reading in the rising generation.  Being able to read and valuing that skill strengthens families.