- Georgia ranks in the bottom 10 in the nation for literacy across all ages at 76.4%.
- 32% of the state's fourth graders are reading at a proficient level.
- Watch the video to hear from Bree Carter of Bree's Creative Academy, who is pushing for early reading intervention.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Bree Carter owns Bree's Creative Academy.
"I began my own child care business and that I love children and I was great at just teaching children."
While she's from our neighboring town of Adel, she's been operating her center here for nearly 10 years.
"So being around me was a delight with children and I saw my gifting."
She's always had a passion for childhood education, earning her Associates in Childhood Development, and she and her fellow educators has one particular pet project: literacy.
"We have a really low reading score in South Georgia right now, and we're teaming up to bring up those reading scores at younger ages.
She's right.
I checked with the state.
Georgia's literacy rate across the board is 76.4%, just below the national average of 79%.
"I want to make an impact."
Lana Dennis has a grandchild here at the academy.
She tells me this type early intervention in childhood development is helpful.
"We've just been really happy with how the teachers are very attentive to his needs and they're always willing to talk to us about what's going on with him."
And with the state's Georgia Early Literacy Act having passed, more educators will be trained like Bree to help students achieve reading success.
"Parents come to me and they're just grateful...to hear their children are doing exceptional in school, that is so rewarding to me."
Efforts from childcare specialists like Bree have lead to the state mandating universal reading screeners multiple times per year, starting next year. In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
