September is National Literacy Month — a time to raise awareness about the importance of reading and writing, and how school professionals can impact student literacy in the classroom and beyond.
If you’re a school professional or interested in supporting literacy efforts, read on to learn more about why literacy matters, how to support literacy education, and some best practices for literacy enrichment. Plus, check out the ways Supplemental Health Care has been involved in literacy initiatives to support our school professionals and communities.
Why Is Literacy Important?
Did you know that in 2024, 21 percent of adults in the U.S. were illiterate? And 54 percent had a literacy level below a 6th-grade reading level.
Poverty and illiteracy are often interlinked. When families are struggling to get by, school and literacy progress are often put on the back burner. But opportunities are opened when literacy is prioritized, and early experiences impact the foundation for future learning.
Beyond Reading and Writing: How Literacy Impacts Life
The foundational skill of literacy goes beyond reading comprehension and writing. Dr. Ingrid Haynes, the founder of the National Literacy Institute, said it best: “Literacy doesn’t just teach letters — it teaches possibilities.”
About 40 percent of U.S. students struggle to read at a basic level. Research indicates that illiteracy can affect a student in multiple areas. Some of those include educational success, health outcomes, incarceration rates, earning potential, and sense of identity.
Educational Success
Students need competent literacy levels to grasp the breadth of material covered in school. When a student falls behind in literacy, they will struggle to express themselves or complete tasks that involve writing or reading. They will find it challenging to summarize, infer, understand, and predict — all of which are necessary skills for cognitive and academic success. Even mathematics, science, and other subjects are impacted by low literacy rates.
Reading and expressing thoughts clearly through writing are helpful skills across subjects. Students can fall behind in more than just literature and composition classes when literacy rates are low.
Health Outcomes
Low literacy can be associated with several adverse health outcomes, and more literate individuals tend to have longer life expectancies. This positive correlation between better health and higher literacy remains true even when factors such as age, gender, income, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status are controlled.
Incarceration Rates
Illiteracy is also connected to incarceration rates, according to the Early Literacy Foundation. Over 70 percent of prison inmates cannot read above a fourth-grade level, and 85 percent of juveniles in the juvenile court system are functionally low literate. When prison inmates receive literacy help, they have a 16 percent chance of returning to prison; those who receive no help have a 70 percent chance. Literacy creates more opportunities on the outside with communal and personal value in raising literacy rates among juveniles, as well as investing in educating incarcerated people.
Earning Potential
Literacy leads to improved income — sometimes up to a 10 percent increase in hourly earnings. Better reading and writing skills can lead to higher-paying jobs, which has a ripple effect on individuals and future generations.
Sense of Identity
Increasing literacy, especially in a student’s heritage language, has a positive impact on their sense of identity and well-being. An engaged cultural identity has a positive effect on health-related outcomes, as well as overall sense of self. Literacy levels can also enhance social participation and community involvement, which in turn can impact overall life satisfaction. Students also need to be able to see characters similar to themselves in literature and connect with commonalities. This helps with their identity formation — students need to see themselves in literature to reflect that in everyday life.
These are just a few of the ways that literacy impacts various areas of life. It can be challenging to fully measure its effects, but the benefits are valuable to students, communities, and society overall.
How School Professionals Support Literacy
School professionals play a crucial role in encouraging literacy in students for lifelong success. Teachers, paraprofessionals, school nurses, and speech-language pathologists can all contribute to improving literacy among students. Building a love for reading and writing at an early age carries benefits throughout a child’s life.
How can school professionals build literacy skills in schools and communities? Here are a few ways to consider:
Start in Early Education
Early education teachers are significantly impactful when it comes to literacy. In formative years, preschool and kindergarten teachers can work to understand literacy standards and prioritize evidence-based resources. Paraprofessionals can help support students with special needs or Individual Education Programs (IEPs) to establish foundational literacy skills.
Support a Student’s Whole Self
A healthy student is better able to focus on learning. If physical factors (such as hunger, health issues, unmet needs) are weighing on a student, literacy is understandably less likely to improve. Helping a student’s whole self through initiatives like providing school meals not only improves health outcomes but is also proven to boost learning. When students can concentrate in the classroom, they can better reach their potential. Teachers, school nurses, and paraprofessionals are all part of the frontline team that recognizes student needs and can work to help students function at their best.
Incorporate Materials and Routines
Daily structured time for literacy development should be protected in classrooms. This can involve a variety of routines, such as
- Read-alouds
- Independent writing
- Interactive writing-readiness
Having materials in the classroom that make these routines accessible and consistent will naturally support literacy efforts. This means keeping a variety of books available, labeling items around the classroom, providing accessible writing tools, and other simple ways to boost literacy activities.
Consider Intervention Programs
When some students need additional literacy efforts, evidence-based intervention strategies can be implemented. These techniques help students achieve reading proficiency and prevent them from falling behind in multiple subjects. Some of the strategies focus on:
- Phonemic awareness
- Fluency and expression
- Vocabulary building
- Increasing comprehension
Needs vary widely, and school professionals are imperative in understanding each student’s unique situation. A key supporter of literacy development is a speech-language pathologist (SLP). This field plays a crucial role in helping develop foundational auditory and comprehension skills that are crucial to a strong literacy foundation. Their focus on phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension significantly affects overall literacy development.
Collaborate with Support Network
Involving families, communities, school nurses, or other figures from student support networks will extend the reach of literacy efforts. This can be as simple as positive notes home to parents or literacy-focused family conferences. Some schools have seen benefits from organizing a school literacy night or another type of special literacy event to engage families and communities.
How SHC Works to Support Literacy in Schools
Supplemental Health Care is supporting Book’em during its annual Champions Circle event in Nashville this month. Employees will be volunteering during this company event to help Book’em’s mission “to create a more literate Nashville and ignite children’s passion for reading through book ownership and enthusiastic volunteers.”
SHC has partnered with SLP and National Staffing Employee of the Year, Dr. Kelly Byrd, over the years to create literacy resources and fund book donations for Love for Literacy, her nonprofit.
Through these efforts and ongoing support for school professionals, SHC aims to enhance literacy and learning in schools across the nation. If you’re interested in working as a school professional through SHC, check out available positions today!
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