A recent article from The Telegraph warned that America’s “brain power is withering” as China surges ahead in education and workforce readiness. While other nations treat literacy as a national priority, we’ve allowed it to become a political talking point. The result: nearly 70% of our eighth graders do not read proficiently.

 

We are losing ground not because we lack innovation, but because we’ve neglected the foundation of literacy. Before a child can access any subject, they must first be able to read. Without that skill, they are locked out of knowledge, opportunity, and the future itself.

 

This is not just an education issue, it’s a national security issue, an economic issue, and a moral one. A country that cannot teach its children to read cannot call itself a nation of opportunity.

 

At Beyond Basics, we work with students who enter high school reading at an elementary level. When they finally receive the daily, one-on-one instruction they need, their potential ignites. The question is whether America will do the same, act with the urgency this moment demands, or continue to drift while others race ahead.