Children who can’t read by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers. According to the Get Georgia Reading Campaign, two-thirds of Georgia’s third-graders are not reading on grade level, presenting an incalculable cost to those children, their families and communities, and to the state.

“Third-grade reading proficiency is not just an education issue,” said Lizann Roberts, executive director of the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition (CGIC) and Georgia Health Initiative Board member. “This is an urgent priority for all who care about children’s health and well-being.”

Roberts recently served as a facilitator for the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy’s 2024 Annual Governor’s Summit on Early Language and Literacy, held in July at the Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. This year’s Summit, which also featured Savannah Mayor Van Johnson as a panelist, focused on the implementation of wrap-around supports for the brain-building network across early childhood care and education.

“Georgia needs to commit to legislation which would mandate kindergarten for all students,” said Roberts. “We must start there and do more to keep Georgia’s children from falling behind before they reach school age. Reading on grade level is not the sole responsibility of the school system. It’s the responsibility of our community to address the issue. Early learning begins at birth. CGIC is committed to addressing overall health and well-being while leveraging resource initiatives that foster those skills starting at birth.”

According to Georgia law, kindergarten is available for every student but is not currently mandatory. Students are required to attend a public, private or home education program from the age of six to sixteen years old. Students are eligible for Kindergarten if they are five years old by September 1.

To foster early learning opportunities for children and mentoring for parents, CGIC is coordinating with local and state agencies to encourage building collaborative partnerships that address early language and literacy.

“CGIC’s partner agencies are building a framework to work with early care providers, school systems, medical providers, community agencies, libraries, parent-facing organizations and parents,” said Roberts. “We know when we collaborate, we can have a bigger impact.”

The Annual Governor’s Summit, sponsored by the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center, serves as a statewide platform for experts, educators, legislators and community partners to come together and share research and best practices that advance early language and literacy development. Through meaningful discussion and collaboration, the Summit seeks to empower communities across the state to ensure that every child meets their potential and inspire work that transforms ideas into practical solutions so that everyone has the tools to support children on the path to literacy.