A key factor for a strong finish is the involvement of the whole community in the pro-literacy crusade. The seeds of this crusade are already sprouting in cities and towns nationwide, and these examples can be shared with and replicated in many communities. Every elementary school child who needs a tutor should have one, for extra reading practice during or after school. 20 All students, but especially poor children, benefit from summer reading programs to prevent erosion of reading skills and promote the joy of reading. Many more children need books to read and adults to read to them.
Every citizen can help and millions more can contribute to make every child a proficient reader.
The momentum is with us for a breakthrough in student reading achievement. About 43 percent of those with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty, and 70 percent of the prison population falls into the two lowest levels of reading proficiency. National Institute for Literacy Fact Sheet . Occupational Employment Projections to 2006 . Monthly Labor Review, November 1997, Table 3, p. 77.