Giving Compass' Take:

• Writing for The Hill, Readers 2 Leaders' Norma Nelson raises the alarm about the literacy gap in the U.S., especially among low-income families and children of color. The biggest issue is lack of funding for public education.

• Nelson urges thinking about early childhood literacy through a wider policy lens — and donors can help as well. Key quote: "Investments made in the first four to six years of school (including pre-K) produced a long-term return to society of $8.24 for every $1 invested."

• Here's how North Carolina's superintendent of public schools is trying to boost early literacy, a possible model for others.

Low teacher pay, segregated schools and equity gaps that continue to fall squarely along racial and income lines 64 years after Brown v. Board of Education are keeping whole generations of children in our country from reaching their full potential.

Early literacy is one area where lack of progress is particularly alarming. A student’s ability to read on grade level by the end of 4th grade is a key indicator of future success in school and in life.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that 74 percent of students who tested below the 25th percentile in reading were from low-income families. Scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress(NAEP), are considered “catastrophically low” for children of color. Nationally, only 18 percent of black students and 21 percent of Hispanic students tested “above proficient” in reading by the end of 4th grade.

As the Executive Director of Readers 2 Leaders, a Dallas-based nonprofit that provides literacy programs to underserved children, I see parents who sacrifice daily to give their children opportunities that are difficult to come by in most of America’s underserved neighborhoods.

Last summer, Isabel, a young, Hispanic mother, walked her four young sons to our reading summer camp every day for more than a mile in the Texas heat. Once we discovered this, staff quickly assisted in setting up transportation for the family. Her dedication struck a chord; the lack of affordable, high-quality educational programs for the families who need it most is astounding.

Read the full article about addressing the US literacy gap by Norma Nelson at The Hill.