Op-Ed in the Austin-American Statesman ➡️ here
As reading for pleasure declines, Central Texas leaders unite to rekindle curiosity and connection for children through books.
By Richard Anthony Tagle, Guest columnist
In an age when artificial intelligence, online education, and virtual reality are transforming learning, we risk losing something profoundly human: our capacity for deep thought, imagination, and empathy through traditional reading. The very skills that have fueled innovation and civic engagement globally and in Central Texas for generations — critical thinking, creative expression and curiosity — are cultivated not through a quick AI inquiry, but through reading, a time-tested method of learning that has been impacted by current market trends in education technology.
Unfortunately, reading for pleasure has declined dramatically among young people. Recent national data show that fewer than one in three students read daily for enjoyment, and the numbers continue to fall. The consequences are far-reaching: students struggle to think critically, express themselves clearly and connect with the world around them.
Next month, E3 Alliance will assume the collaborative stewardship of the Greater Austin Reading Coalition, a network of more than 30 organizations — schools, libraries, nonprofits and businesses — joining forces to reverse this trend. Our goal is not only to improve literacy outcomes, but to bring back the joy of reading for every child in Central Texas and sustain a literacy-rich environment for the region.
Founded in 2021, the Greater Austin Reading Coalition is a diverse network that supports the local literacy community to ensure that all students from kindergarten to third grade — especially those who identify as Black, indigenous and people of color and are most affected by inequitable systems — are reading on grade level by the end of third grade, a pivotal point in a child’s reading development.
E3 will work with the members of the coalition to expand the well-received PART (Parents Advancing Reading Transformations) Parent Learning Series that helps parents understand the foundations of reading, and advance policies and practices that can have a systemic impact on our youngest learners.
Why does this matter? Because reading is more than an academic skill. It’s a cornerstone of community. When children read stories that reflect their own lives and open windows into others’, they develop empathy and a sense of belonging. When families read together, they strengthen bonds across generations. When communities support literacy, they build a foundation for a stronger, more resilient regional economy and civil society.
To continue reading this op-ed; visit: 🔗 https://ow.ly/Wjbg50XcNo5
For more information about GARC, please contact Nwando (she/her) Clyburn, M.Ed., nclyburn@e3alliance.org
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