In Chicago, 2 in 3 third graders are not meeting or exceeding reading standards (Illinois State Board of Education, 2016). This leaves them at a considerable disadvantage because, after third grade, learning material is written at a fourth-grade level or higher. They simply cannot fluently read what they cannot decode and cannot comprehend what they cannot fluently read.
Individuals disheartened by years of failure in school due to not receiving the right intervention are left feeling like something is wrong with them and unable to achieve their goals. Redwood exists to be a small part of the change. Redwood?s mission is to provide high-quality, research-based reading therapy to individuals with dyslexia, dysgraphia, or other literacy-based learning struggles. Traditionally, this sort of multi-sensory intervention is limited to affluent communities. The current going rate for 1-1 intervention is between $100-$150 an hour around Chicago, and the other only local full-day school program is around $46,000 a year. We exist to change that narrative for individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds who desperately need structured literacy intervention.
Dyslexia is highly prevalent, with recent research showing that 1 in 5 of our learners is dyslexic. Additionally, research shows that dyslexia is a significant reason for the achievement gap, especially under-diagnosed in Latino and African American children. These learners must receive the right intervention as soon as possible in their educational journeys; not everyone has the social and monetary capital to do so. According to a study, 89% of children with disabilities in Chicago are low-income; 90% are children of color. Chicago?s children with disabilities read two times worse than their national peers, with only 15% achieving basic literacy by fourth grade. Poor readers are six times more likely to drop out of school, perpetrate a crime, and depend on public assistance in adulthood. Students who drop out cost our society $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, and productivity. Our violence epidemic is not surprising since tens of thousands of children are not developing the skills required to break the cycle of poverty and violence in Chicago. Literacy is more than a skill. It?s a lifeline!
Redwood exists so that all students with literacy struggles can access their dreams. By cultivating hope and restoring confidence, we help students dramatically improve their literacy skills regardless of socio-economic background or learning differences.
