Acclaimed documentary gets Columbia screening to bring attention to reading disparities in SC

The ability for a child to read by the fourth grade is not disputed as a critical element for success in life. In South Carolina, however, reading scores for the state’s fourth graders haven’t substantially improved since 2002. A documentary film, “The Right to Read,” comes to Columbia for a screening on Friday, July 21, to spotlight successes in areas like South Carolina where this disparity is even more evident when comparing Black and brown students’ scores with white students’ scores.

The film focuses on incorporating the “science of reading” into school curriculum. The SC Department of Education defines the science of reading “evidence-based teaching practices, supported by decades of brain research, that effectively teach children the fundamentals of reading.” The screening event will serve as an impetus to encourage community conversations around the issue of reading disparities and possible solutions in South Carolina.