Local school works to bridge reading gap in students

Reading is essential for students success and after months of cancellations one local school is trying to continue their tradition of a literacy night with students and parents.

This is Alexis Foust, 5th grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School.

Although this is her first year with the Jackson Madison County School System she is helping in the effort to bridge the reading gap at her school.

“I think this literacy night more important probably than the ones in the past because of that gap," says Foust.

Lincoln usually has around three literacy nights a year, but this week they are having their first one for this school year due to schedule changes.

“Well this year they lost not just the summer, the spring and we started late. So, we ‘ve got this big gap where scholars weren’t reading," Foust adds.

Governor Bill Lee mentioned during a special session that data suggests that Tennessee 3rd graders are facing an estimated 50 percent drop in reading proficiency.

Educators at Lincoln are trying to keep that from happening by continuing their literacy night virtually this week.

“We’ve got some organizers set up to help them understand what they are reading, we really want to focus on that reading cause like you said there was such a big gap of time where they possibly weren’t reading. We are trying to fill that in with this night," says Foust.

Now the literacy night is this week and for more information on how to get involved contact Lincoln Elementary school. Imani Williams, 39 News, Jackson.