Third Grade Reading

Literacy should be one of society’s greatest priorities. Through ImpactTulsa’s Third Grade Reading program, we aim to bring the matter into the limelight and help children improve their literacy skills by ensuring that they attend school on a daily basis and by encouraging them to get the extra practice they need in order to become fluent readers.

Children with the lowest reading scores account for approximately 63% of all children who do not graduate from high school, and without adequate intervention, the gap between struggling and fluent readers continues to grow over time. Ultimately, investing in literacy means investing in education, in occupational mobility, and in financial independence.

Key contributors to low reading performance have been identified as school readiness, chronic absenteeism, summer learning, family stressors, and teaching quality.

Third-grade reading proficiency is defined as understanding written text, developing and interpreting meaning, and applying it to texts. Oklahoma has adopted four achievement-level proficiency descriptions: a) below basic, b) basic, c) proficient, and d) advanced. The 2017 assessment found 36% of the Tulsa region’s students scored proficient or higher, about 3% below the statewide level. Furthermore, roughly a quarter of students from low-income households (24%) and students of color (26%) achieved proficiency.