Why Reading?

You may ask yourself, why such a focus on reading/writing classes? Of all the subjects in school and out of all the programs we could run in this community, why is this the one that has gained traction more than any other, and why is this one the one that makes the biggest difference?

I recently read a report (link here) from The World Bank, confirming what I witness every day and emphasizing the importance of these specific classes. They refer to the problem we see here as “Learning Poverty” - being unable to read and understand short text by age 10. They go on to share that reading is a gateway for learning as each child progresses through school, and conversely, an inability to read constrains opportunities for further learning in all subjects.

Unfortunately, a shocking 75% of children in Honduras at late primary school age are not proficient in reading. This is almost 24 percentage points higher that the average for Latin America, and 14 points higher that the average for countries with similar income levels.

We see these terrible stats everyday, and they tend to be even more exaggerated in poor, underserved communities where adult illiteracy is still a very prevalent.

So why do we focus so strongly on reading/writing tutoring classes? To equip these kids with the most basic skill needed for learning and address the very real problem this country is facing!