Literacy is the cornerstone of school achievement.

Research has shown that a pivotal benchmark for success in school and beyond is making sure kids are reading at grade level at the end of third grade. The fact is that kids learn to read through third grade, then they read to learn.

Check out this video about our work in children's literacy.

Community Issue

In Minneapolis and St. Paul, less than 50 percent of at-risk children are reading at grade level in third grade. This leads to a large academic achievement gap between kids at or below 200 percent of poverty* and those with access to more resources. If the third grade reading benchmark is missed, this gap widens and can cause increased academic, social and emotional problems.

Ensuring educational success in the early years is one of the most important pathways out of poverty for at-risk populations. One of 10 goals in our Agenda for Lasting Change is to increase the number of third-graders reading at grade level to 80 percent by 2012 in partner school districts.

* A family of four earning $44,100 or less annually.

United Way Response

United Way is investing $2.3 million annually through multi-year funding in programs and strategies that contribute to more children reading at grade level by third grade. This investment supports 15 programs, eight of which are new to United Way, and will impact approximately 6,000 children each year.

These investments, beginning July 1, 2009, include innovative partnerships with the St. Paul and Bloomington School Districts, and funding for Minneapolis-based organizations demonstrating best practices in literacy. By investing in strategies such as comprehensive one-on-one tutoring; parent engagement; and identifying needs in kindergarten and working with those students through third grade, we can close the achievement gap.

Volunteer Opportunities

You can help us make an impact! United Way Caring Connection can match you to volunteer projects with our community partners working to increase third-grade reading success.

School Year (2009/10) Tutoring in St. Paul
Make a difference in a child's life by tutoring through the Tutoring Partnership for Academic Excellence (TPAE), St. Paul's premier tutoring initiative. The TPAE is an extension of the St. Paul Public Schools Foundation. Volunteers can tutor a student (K-12) at one of the public schools or at select community-based sites. Tutor requests for certain hours, locations or age groups will be honored.

These and hundreds of other engaging volunteer opportunities are available through United Way Caring Connection. Find one now!

Giving Options

Together, we can help students across the metro learn to read by third grade. If we all give what we can, we can make our community better for everyone. Here are some examples of what your donation buys:

• $1 buys a cookie sheet used with magnetic letters that helps kids learn to read
• $5 provides a book suitable for early readers
• $10 helps make learning fun with a phonetic game
• $20 gets subscriptions to children's magazines
• $50 buys word cards used in reading exercises
• $250 provides multisensory phonics kits for programs teaching kids to read
• $500 offers reading kits with multiple books and tutor guides
• $1,000 assists a struggling child with 40 hours of one-on-one tutoring

Explore our giving opportunities and make a gift today!

Learn More

• Our blogger Dr. Elizabeth Peterson uncovers the truth about a frequently cited early learning statistic.
• Read the United Way Overview (PDF)
• Children and Families Impact Plan Executive Summary (PDF)
• View Children and Families Success Stories.