As students head back to school this fall, policymakers are once again debating how we improve reading achievement. The Wall Street Journal recently noted, “American schools have wrestled with learning loss for the better part of a decade and no one has found a panacea.”
The interest and attention stems in part from recent research from Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project which reinforced what educators have long understood: literacy challenges identified in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 existed long before we closed our classrooms.
I propose we’re not looking at the problem holistically. Even with billions of dollars invested in school-based reforms, one key piece remains overlooked: children spend far more time learning outside the classroom than in it. The focus – and investments – need to be on solutions that provide families the tools they need to support learning beyond the classroom.
Consider this: a child who never misses a day of school still only spends only a fraction of their waking hours in a classroom. Ariel Kalil and Susan Mayer, both of the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago, reframe the conversation. More time is spent with family and caregivers, where early learning takes root long before formal instruction begins. Simply put, school-based strategies cannot succeed without creating habits and behaviors at home that support them.
At Worldreader, we’ve seen firsthand how digital tools – pervasive across most families – can help families make reading a part of their daily lives. Through BookSmart, our mobile-first reading platform, subscription-and ad free access to thousands of culturally relevant books, reading support and brain-building activities is provided to families through digital platforms they already trust. Partners in healthcare, early childhood development community organizations and mobile communications providers integrate reading into everyday moments.
Across every ZIP code, consistent, supported shared reading between caregivers and children is one of the strongest drivers of literacy. Our research shows that families who complete just one 10-book reading challenge on BookSmart go on to read more than 10 additional books each month. This finding reinforces a long-held belief: at their core, parents want their children to succeed and welcome practical support that makes reading a meaningful experience for both child and caregiver. But support only works when families can access it.
We applaud the states who have renewed their focus on these issues and encourage them to continue to explore long-term and scalable solutions. In my home state of Georgia, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026 strengthens expectations around early reading instruction, supports earlier identification of students who are falling behind, and emphasizes parent engagement in early reading. The legislation reflects a growing consensus that classroom-based reading reform is important, but it also highlights a larger truth: policy alone cannot close the literacy gap unless families have consistent access to reading support beyond the school day.
The Georgia bill provides every newborn in the State with a book, which recognizes an essential truth: literacy begins long before pre-school. If we want lasting progress, however, we need sustained support that grows with children, not at a single moment at birth. Building lifelong readers requires infrastructure to sustain reading habits past infancy.
Our approach is not a replacement for schools or public systems. It reinforces them, especially when those systems are under strain. It ensures that families have consistent access to literacy support regardless of geography, funding cycles or political shifts. Reaching more than 320,000 families across 110+ countries and with over one million digital books read in 2025, BookSmart is advancing equitable access to reading and supporting sustained literacy engagement at scale.
The organizations best positioned to meet this moment are built to navigate fragmented systems, reach families directly, and deliver consistent support outside the classroom. The opportunity is clear: invest in models that ensure every family has an opportunity to succeed, no matter where they live.
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Rebecca Chandler Leege is the CEO of Worldreader, a global tech nonprofit dedicated to helping families build daily reading routines that prepare children for lifelong learning.
