A majority of students in California, including Santa Barbara, cannot read at grade level and are at risk of long-term reading failure, according to the California Reading Coalition.

Without strong reading skills by third grade, students are far less likely to succeed later in school and in life, the group said.

To promote literacy skills, the Santa Barbara Reading Coalition will host Todd Collins, educational advocate and co-founder of the California Reading Coalition at a free community event, 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 at Santa Barbara Central Library’s Faulkner Gallery.

Collins will discuss successful implementation of evidence-based instruction based in the Science of Reading that have moved the needle in childhood literacy, the coalition said.

Since 2021, the California Reading Coalition has researched methods and approaches throughout the state and the nation that have significantly improved literacy outcomes for all students, including English Language Learners.

“Within just a few years, these approaches have helped raise achievement dramatically, especially among students who had previously struggled the most,” the coalition reports.

Collins is a former school board trustee and educational advocate based in Palo Alto, California. After a business career, he was elected to his local school board in 2016. In 2021, he helped organize the California Reading Coalition, focused on improving reading success for all students across California.

Sign up for the event at https://bit.ly/46hQa3x, or here.

The Santa Barbara Reading Coalition works to ensure all students in Santa Barbara County achieve reading proficiency, supporting School Board trustees, superintendent, principals, teachers, parents, and students with the resources and knowledge required to solve our reading challenges.