Why Now?

• Approximately 45% of children in Philadelphia's public schools are not reading at grade level by fourth grade.
   
• The majority of children do not attend quality pre-school programs. Lack of early childhood education is related to poor school achievement.
   
• Nearly 80% live with families whose incomes are so low that they are eligible of free or reduced-price lunch. Recent research shows that many such homes contain an average of less than one book.
   
• 85% of the children who appear in juvenile court lack reading skills.
   
• If students can't read well by the end of third grade, chances for later school success are greatly diminished - including a greater likelihood of delinquent behavior and dropping out of school.
   
• Low-achieving readers who participate in programs that involve only an hour of reading daily gain more than 2 1/2 years in reading in one school year.
   
• Children from middle income homes enter school having had 1000-1700 hours of one-to-one experiences with books: children from low income families only 25 hours.