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ATLANTA () – Inside the historic walls of the Georgia State Capitol, legislators are moving forward with a comprehensive initiative focused on enhancing reading skills among the state’s youngest learners.
Recent statistics reveal that Georgia is currently positioned 46th in the nation concerning overall literacy rates, a figure that advocates argue highlights the pressing need for reform.
The proposed House Bill 1193, referred to as the “Georgia Early Literacy Act,” mandates several key initiatives:
- Full-time literacy coaches in all K–3 elementary schools
- Mandatory kindergarten attendance before enrolling in first grade
- Implementation of a phonics-based “science of reading” model for classroom instruction
State Representative Karlton Howard (D–Augusta), a supporter of the bill, emphasizes the straightforward objective: to ensure that students achieve grade-level reading proficiency by the third grade.
“The primary aim is to have our children reading at their respective levels, and doing so in a timely manner,” Howard explained. “If they are in third grade, they should be reading at a third-grade level.”
Under the proposal, children would be required to attend kindergarten to ensure they are academically prepared before entering first grade, a move supporters say would strengthen foundational reading skills early on.
Howard says improving literacy is also about keeping Georgia competitive with other states.
“When we’re competitive, our students get educated, they go into the workforce,” he said. “When we’re not competitive with our teachers, we can’t retain teachers, we can’t pay teachers.”
The State Superintendent has said adding literacy coaches could increase reading proficiency rates by as much as 15 percent.
The bill also includes funding to provide books to families upon the birth of a child, encouraging literacy from infancy.
Some lawmakers argue that improving reading outcomes will also require updating Georgia’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula and increasing teacher pay. Supporters say higher salaries could help recruit and retain educators and potentially reduce class sizes to create stronger learning environments.
The measure is continuing to move through the legislative process. Backers say early intervention is key to reversing Georgia’s literacy ranking and setting students up for long-term academic success.