Third-Grade Literacy

Spotlight on 3rd Grade Literacy

Helping Every Student Become a Reader

Did you know that if a student can read proficiently in 3rd grade, they are four times less likely to drop out of high school? Children who can read in 3rd grade also face much lower rates of future incarceration, homelessness, or unemployment.

While learning to speak occurs automatically for most children, learning to read requires instruction and practice. Decades of research called the Science of Reading reveals that students need direct, explicit instruction that helps connect sounds with letters, or phonics, while also teaching comprehension skills.

All students have a right to literacy, but both California and Sonoma County struggle with literacy rates lower than the national average.

To address this challenge, SCOE is working aggressively to raise awareness locally about the Science of Reading and to bring school districts and community partners together to implement research-based instruction. Hundreds of teachers and administrators have devoted several days and hours after school to learn about the Science of Reading and adjust their classroom practices.

For 2024-25, SCOE literacy specialists worked with 120 educators from across the county to receive training and ongoing coaching around early literacy instruction at no cost to districts. Early assessments are already showing significant gains in reading ability in the classrooms of educators who have received this literacy training, known as Orton-Gillingham. Another cohort of 130 educators is planned for 2025-26.

In addition to our schools, Sonoma County is home to a variety of governmental agencies, community organizations, and private businesses who are dedicated to ensuring more residents of all ages are proficient readers. The county office is working this spring to bring together community partners including K-3 Innovation; Read On, Sonoma; The Press Democrat; Sonoma County Library; and more to combine and coordinate efforts in tackling this important, communitywide issue.