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The Challenge

According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), more than 82% of Black male 4th grade students in the U.S. are not proficient in reading. Low reading achievement among Black boys today will produce Black men who are ill-prepared to compete in the workforce of tomorrow.

Relevant Content and Effective Instruction

The early literacy content, experiences, and instruction to which many Black boys currently have access do not reflect their reading preferences, individual learning needs, or Science of Reading (SOR) best practices.

Relevant Reading Role Models

Less than 2% of K-12 teachers in the U.S are Black men and a majority of Black boys are raised by single mothers. A lack of Black male reading role models in school and at home contributes to decreased reading motivation and has led many Black boys not to identify as readers.

Collectively, these and other challenges build barriers to reading success for Black boys.