Do you know a key indicator of positive life outcomes in adulthood?
Would it surprise you that the answer is third grade reading proficiency? Here’s why:
Until the end of third grade, children are learning to read.
Starting in fourth grade, they must read to learn.
Reading is one of the most important skills a person can have – and third grade reading scores matter.
Here in Indiana, the number of children who cannot read by the end of third grade has more than doubled since 2012. Last year, only 81% of Indiana’s third graders passed the statewide assessment.
That means one in five Hoosier children are struggling to read.
But we’re writing a different story at The Oaks Academy: 98% of our third grade students passed the same assessment.
Third grade reading scores matter because we know literacy significantly impacts a person’s career opportunities and overall quality of life.
Children who are strong readers by the end of third grade are four times more likely to graduate high school.
With a high school diploma in hand, a literate adult will have: more career opportunities, higher earning potential, and overall increased quality of life.
Since our founding, we have been devoted to cultivating an authentic love for learning. In our third grade classrooms, 8 and 9-year-old students are reading proficiently while also engaging with the timeless themes and beautiful ideas found within classic literature like the epic story of Homer in “The Odyssey” and Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.”
High reading scores are the natural outcomes of children who love to learn!
And the impact of an Oaks education continues even after our students graduate.
Only 86.6% of all Indiana students graduate from high school.
BUT 99.9% of Oaks alumni go on to graduate high school.
As a nonprofit organization, The Oaks has always been an independent, community-funded school where student success has been sustained by our supporters.
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Change is always challenging, especially when it may effect your children. Please share any questions or comments you have using the form below, or by emailing me directly at ahart@theoaksacademy.org.
I’ll respond to your inquiry directly and as quickly as I can.