For those of us who loved to read as kids, it can be difficult to grasp how not everyone felt the joy that we did when they cracked open a new book. But for many children, reading is often frustrating and isolating—a reminder that they are falling behind their peers. And when those children don’t receive the support they need, the effects reach far beyond the classroom and last well into adulthood.

That’s why National Literacy Month, taking place this September, must be more than just a celebration of books. It presents us with an opportunity to look more deeply at what it takes to help every child become a capable, confident reader, which is vital for so much learning that comes afterward.

At the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, one of our most significant investments in literacy is connected to Patricia and Ira Strauss.

Patricia struggled with reading and writing well into adulthood before being diagnosed with dyslexia. That experience became a deeply personal calling. Through a $23 million endowed legacy gift, the Strausses established the Ira and Patricia Strauss Fund for Children’s Literacy to help children receive the support that Patricia did not have early in her life.

Their story reflects philanthropy at its best: personal experience transformed into lasting public impact. The Strausses did not simply fund a program. They entrusted our Community Foundation to steward their vision across generations, to follow research and work alongside educators, families and experts to strengthen literacy throughout our region at a systemic level that ensures long-term investments in our local schools while also immediately benefiting students today.

The results from the 2025–2026 school year demonstrate what that commitment can make possible.

In Sarasota County, all first-grade teachers received intensive professional learning that strengthened phonics-based literacy instruction for approximately 2,300 students across 25 elementary schools. Reading proficiency increased from 25 percent at the beginning of the year to 64 percent by year-end, meaning approximately 1,175 additional first-graders reached grade-level proficiency.

Those numbers represent children who can more confidently understand a story, follow directions, solve a word problem and begin to see themselves as capable learners.

Universal dyslexia screening also reached 3,600 Sarasota County students in kindergarten through third grade, identifying 527 children who needed targeted interventions. (That rate, about 15 percent, is in line with nationwide estimates that dyslexia affects roughly one in five students.) The sooner we understand why a child is struggling, the sooner educators and families can provide the right support.

In Manatee County, investments in teachers, coaches, paraprofessionals and administrators helped improve reading proficiency from kindergarten through third grade, with 56 percent of third-graders meeting expectations—the highest level in the district’s history.

In DeSoto County, kindergarten readiness began at just 16 percent in the 2025-2026 school year, the second lowest readiness rate in the state. But by the end of the year, kindergarten reading proficiency reached 58 percent, nearly matching the statewide average. Every kindergarten through second-grade student also took home more than 30 books, helping families make reading a part of their life beyond the classroom.

Meaningful change rarely comes from one grant, one program or one school year. It happens when we identify challenges early, give families the support they need, and remain committed for the long term.

There is a role for all of us. Read with a child. Give books. Volunteer as a tutor. But also support the people who help children learn to read. When we do that, we do more than help students get better grades. We expand what that child can learn, imagine and make possible, for themselves and for our community.

Jessica Muroff  is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.