How do we know if children are on track to read by third grade?

For years, that question has come up in conversations with parents, educators, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and community leaders across Brown County.

The challenge is that by the time we see third-grade reading scores, the opportunity to intervene early has often already passed.

If we want more children reading proficiently by third grade, we need to understand what is happening long before they enter a testing classroom.

That belief led to the creation of the Early Literacy Dashboard, a new community tool designed to help Brown County track the conditions that support literacy from birth through age nine.

On May 6, 2026, Achieve Brown County and the forWORDS Early Literacy Initiative officially launched Phase 1 of the dashboard during the Early Literacy Convening.

More than a dashboard, it represents a shared commitment to understanding what helps children thrive and using data to guide action.

Creating a Shared Picture

One of the first things our community told us was that there was no common way to understand whether children were on track to become successful readers.

Different organizations collected different information, but there was no shared framework connecting those efforts together.

Over the past year, community partners worked together to identify seven key benchmarks that influence reading success:

• Access to Books
• Hearing & Vision
• Early Learning Participation
• Early Language & Literacy Skills
• Family Literacy Engagement
• Consistent Attendance
• Grade Level Reading

Together, these benchmarks create a roadmap from birth to third grade and help answer an important question: Are we creating the conditions children need to become successful readers?

Why We Started with Books

The first phase of the dashboard focuses on access to books.

Research consistently shows that children with greater access to books are more likely to develop early language skills, stronger literacy habits, and a lifelong love of reading.

At the same time, an estimated 61% of children living at or below the poverty line have no books in their homes. No single program can solve that challenge.

That is why Brown County is tracking four different pathways that help get books into the hands of children and families:

• Public libraries
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
• Reach Out and Read
• Free Little Libraries

Together, these pathways create multiple opportunities for children to encounter books where they live, learn, play, and receive care.

What the Data Shows

Even in this first phase, the data tells an encouraging story.

Through Brown County libraries alone:

• Nearly 700,000 children’s materials were circulated in 2024.
• More than 2,600 new library cards were issued to children ages 0-9.
• Over 2,000 programs were offered for children ages 0-5.
• Those programs connected with more than 62,000 attendees.

The dashboard also highlights the impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

In 2025:

• 736 children were enrolled in the program.
• 9,011 books were mailed directly to children’s homes.
• 274 new children joined the program.
• More families are enrolling children at birth than ever before, increasing from 44% in 2023 to 86% in 2025.

Healthcare is playing a critical role as well.

Through Reach Out and Read:

• 15,237 books were distributed during well-child visits.
• 10,228 unique children received books.
• More than 17,000 well-child visits included literacy support and encouragement for families.

The dashboard also maps library locations, healthcare sites, and literacy resources across the county, helping identify where children are being reached and where additional investment may be needed.

Looking Beyond the Numbers

The purpose of the dashboard is not simply to collect data. It is to help our community make better decisions.

When we can see where children are accessing books, where families are being reached, and where gaps exist, we can work together to strengthen supports before children ever fall behind.

The dashboard helps move conversations from assumptions to action.

It allows schools, healthcare systems, libraries, nonprofits, businesses, and policymakers to align around shared goals and measure progress together.

Where We Are Going Next

Phase 1 is only the beginning.

Additional dashboard phases will launch throughout 2026 and 2027, adding data related to:

• Hearing and vision screenings
• Early learning participation
• Oral language and literacy skills
• Family literacy engagement
• School attendance
• Third-grade reading outcomes

Together, these measures will create a clearer picture of what literacy looks like across Brown County and where opportunities exist to improve outcomes for children.

A Community Goal

At its core, the Early Literacy Dashboard is about one thing: Ensuring every child has the opportunity to learn to read and succeed.

That means every child having access to books.

It means expanding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to serve more eligible children across Brown County.
It means growing Reach Out and Read so more families receive books through pediatric care.
It means increasing access to neighborhood literacy resources and Free Little Libraries.

Most importantly, it means recognizing that literacy is not the responsibility of one organization, school, or family alone. It is a shared responsibility.

The Early Literacy Dashboard gives our community a common starting point, a shared language, and a way to measure progress together. Because when we can see the full picture, we can build a stronger future for every child in Brown County.

This dashboard is a part of the

forWORDS Initiative

forWORDS is a community-wide literacy initiative led by Achieve Brown County to help more children build the early foundation they need to read by third grade and thrive for a lifetime.