Giving Compass' Take:

• Connie Chung's story of escaping homelessness through her love of reading reflects statistics that show that literacy is key to leaving poverty behind.  

• How can philanthropists support early childhood literacy? What other forms of support do children need to succeed? 

• Learn how to improve global literacy. 

It’s difficult not to be dazzled by the accomplishments of Connie Chung. The 40-year-old is a published author with a bachelor’s degree from UC, Berkeley, and three graduate degrees from Harvard: two master’s degrees and a doctorate of education. Given her academic prowess, one might be surprised to find that Chung spent six years of her youth homeless and alone on the streets of Los Angeles.

At the time, Chung was in the throes of adolescence, and she recalls that school was one of the few places she could rely on for stability. And it’s a good thing she did find somewhere to turn; childhood illiteracy is correlated to lifelong illiteracy.

Approximately 15 million children are currently living in poverty in the United States, and 60% of low-income families have no children’s books at home. Since pediatric researchers report that reading at home in childhood has a considerable positive effect on literacy and reading skills, 60% of children from low-income families are at a disadvantage.

Chung worked hard to make up for that disadvantage. By keeping up with reading at school, she developed skills that would be crucial for her future.

She stayed in school full time while she was homeless. She loved learning, especially in English class, and considered school her own “refuge out of hell.”

Read the full article about reading by Gila Lyons at GOOD Magazine.