Caroline James, an education consultant for the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which is helping fund the screenings, said they often flag students who need extra help, sometimes through small clues like when a child makes repeated mistakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething\u2019s going on with this friend,\u201d James said of one student flagged. \u201c(Those parents are) somebody I\u2019m going to meet with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Almost two-thirds of students who live in Fort Worth do not read proficiently<\/a>, a number that city and school leaders have called a civic crisis<\/a>. Low literacy rates fuel a host of societal challenges, from poverty to crime, according to officials.<\/p>\n In April, the city formally prioritized literacy<\/a> in a resolution championed by Mayor Mattie Parker. The resolution pledges citywide support for the 12 school districts serving Fort Worth and commits to partnering with them to ensure universal grade-level reading.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Literacy Round Up<\/a>, launched this summer, is the city\u2019s most direct effort yet to fulfill that promise. The program offers free literacy screenings at library branches and Camp Fort Worth community center sites, including Como, Chisholm Trail, Diamond Hill, Riverside, Fire Station and Victory Forest.<\/p>\n At each site, children are pulled briefly from camp activities for a 10- to 15-minute screening. They read nonsense words, real words and short passages, complete missing-word exercises and comprehension tasks, all while staff score their fluency, accuracy and understanding.<\/p>\n For students like Madison, it\u2019s designed to feel informal. Just a quick check-in.\u00a0<\/p>\n But behind the scenes, the stakes are high.<\/p>\n As of June 26, 400 children have been screened. Of those, 145 \u2014 more than a third \u2014 showed some level of risk that demands a closer look, James said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re all dyslexic,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it means something\u2019s going on. And we owe it to these kids to figure out what.\u201d<\/p>\n The screenings aim to identify students who may struggle with decoding, fluency or comprehension \u2014 all key building blocks of literacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n James pointed out that for children with dyslexia, the screenings can flag challenges before they become entrenched.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can find these students early and give them the right intervention, they can get on grade level in about two years and stay there. But we have to act now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n To do that, the city is asking parents to meet one-on-one with staff to review results. The goal is to have at least 100 families sign up.\u00a0<\/p>\n Parents receive detailed test results, guidance on how to advocate for their child at school and, if they choose, the support of an advocate through a new partnership with the Rotary Club of Fort Worth.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to help parents ask the right questions,\u201d James said. \u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily have to know the answers to these questions, but your teacher should. When you ask them what curriculums they\u2019re using for your student, you should hear the words phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawrence Thompson, the city\u2019s education strategies manager, grew up in poverty and was once wrongly placed in special education classes, he said. His background is why he speaks so passionately about the city\u2019s role in education.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an ecosystem person,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we can strengthen the environment around these kids \u2014 not just the classroom, but the whole community \u2014 we can change their path.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s part of the reason why the city chose community centers as screening sites. Families trust these locations, Thompson said.<\/p>\n The setting also contributed to increased confidence in the findings.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a random, broad sample,\u201d James said. \u201cNot just families who already suspect something\u2019s wrong, which gives us a clearer picture.\u201d<\/p>\n The data gathered so far revealed higher rates of at-risk students at some sites, like Como and Victory Forest, where community needs may be greatest.<\/p>\n For Madison and her peers, the screenings aren\u2019t meant to diagnose, but to start conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is like putting your arm in the blood pressure cuff at the pharmacy. If it gives you a high number, you\u2019re not going to call your cardiologist and ask for a heart transplant. But what you are going to do is call your doctor and say, \u2018Hey, can we check in? Let\u2019s see what\u2019s going on,\u2019\u201d James said.<\/p>\n Families walk away with a packet of information outlining their rights, timelines for requesting testing from schools and tips for supporting reading at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city hopes the effort will prevent students from falling behind unnoticed and keep them from relying on outdated methods that mask their struggles.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not teaching kids to guess with picture clues or patterns,\u201d James said. \u201cWe\u2019re teaching them to read.\u201d<\/p>\n The work is not over, James said. The city is still seeking more volunteers willing to help parents navigate meetings and push for the right support at school.<\/p>\n Do you want to be a reading advocate for Fort Worth students?<\/p>\n Contact Caroline James at cgentryjames@gmail.com<\/a> and ask about becoming an advocate for families navigating literacy support in Fort Worth schools.<\/p>\n And the effort goes beyond what happens in classrooms, Thompson said. Kids only spend 13% of their childhood in a classroom, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing our part in that 87% of kids\u2019 lives that happen outside the classroom,\u201d he said. \u201cUltimately, this is about building a city where every child can succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @matthewsgroi1<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Disclosure: The Sid W. Richardson Foundation is a financial supporter<\/a> of the Fort Worth Report.<\/p>\n News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Goss-CitySummerLiteracyEfforts-01-scaled.jpg\")
Caroline James, an education consultant for the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, shows a section of a dyslexia test June 24, 2025, at the Como Community Center in Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Goss-CitySummerLiteracyEfforts-03-scaled.jpg\")
Cynthia Landrum, a Fort Worth ISD teacher and summer literacy specialist, scores tests June 24, 2025, at the Como Community Center in Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Goss-CitySummerLiteracyEfforts-02-scaled.jpg\")
Caroline James, an education consultant for the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, goes through her file folder box of tests and results June 24, 2025, at the Como Community Center in Fort Worth. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
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