The NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading initiative is building on North Carolina's history of innovation and success to tackle one of the greatest challenges facing the state: the overwhelming majority of our children, especially those from low-income families, are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade. Reading well in the early grades predicts a child's academic and career success.
Third grade reading proficiency is achievable with policies and practices that reflect the science--reading is a cumulative process that develops from birth and is rooted in early brain development. Research shows that improving third grade reading takes a coordinated birth-through-age-eight approach that focuses on children's health and development, families and communities, and high quality learning environments with regular attendance.