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- About WAKE Up and Read
WAKE Up and Read
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Literacy is a right for all children.
WAKE Up and Read is united in our belief that literacy is a RIGHT for all, not a privilege for the advantaged. It is our goal that each and every child in Wake County, regardless of race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status, will read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.
We are a community coalition founded on the belief that our schools, families, and children cannot succeed alone. In order to ensure our students are on the right track, we need engaged communities mobilized to remove barriers, expand opportunities, and assist families to serve as full partners in the success of their children. We are a community coalition of over 30 agencies, civic leaders, businesses, and organizations sharing one common goal – improving childhood literacy in Wake County.
What we do
As a member of the NC Campaign for Grade-Level Reading community, we align our work with the Pathways to Grade-Level Reading. The focus of our action teams is threefold:
- School Readiness: Increasing the number of children arriving at kindergarten ready to learn.
- Learning Opportunities: Expanding access to high-quality, birth-through-age eight learning opportunities and regular school attendance.
- Families as Partners: Engaging and supporting families as partners in their child's learning.
Mission
To engage and educate our community about the importance of childhood literacy and to increase access to literacy resources and opportunities for all children.Vision
Every child in Wake County will be inspired, equipped, and empowered to read.Values
Literacy is the right of every child. Community collaboration increases access to literacy resources. Every child deserves high-quality learning experiences.To meet key literacy milestones, children need:
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Health and development to begin at birth so that they arrive at kindergarten ready to learn.
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Access to high-quality, birth-through-age eight learning opportunities and regular school attendance.
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Supportive and supported families and communities.
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The right to read
- 37% of 4th graders in the United States read "below basic" according to the National Assessment of Education Progress.
- 56% of Black 4th graders, 50% of Hispanic 4th graders, and 57% of American Indian/Alaska Native 4th graders are reading "below basic."
- 70% of 4th graders, who are identified as students with disabilities, are reading below basic levels.
- 67% of 4th graders who are English Learners are reading below basic levels.
- 52% of 4th graders eligible for free and reduced-price lunch are reading below basic levels. Children from families at or below 130% federal poverty level are eligible for free meals.
Watch The Right to ReadThe Right to Read shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read."Two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders are not proficient readers."Research shows that proficiency in reading by the end of third grade enables students to shift from learning to read to reading to learn, and to master the more complex subject matter they encounter in the fourth-grade curriculum. Most students who fail to reach this critical milestone falter in their later grades and often drop out before earning a high school diploma.