In 2024, we launched a groundbreaking collaborative research initiative to understand the barriers that Black Canadian communities face in realizing their children’s right to read.
In collaboration with Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation and Black Health Alliance, we spoke to Black families and service providers across the country to delve into the nuance of the Black early literacy experience and the specific ways in which anti-Black racism contributes to disparities in learning outcomes.
Our online content hub shares outcomes from our research and provides educators, policymakers, community organizations, families and individuals with tools and resources to take action around the right to read for Black children and families.
HOPES, CHALLENGES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
Caregiver Stories
Read Our At-A-Glance Report
The Need
Literacy is a fundamental skill and a recognized human right that impacts a person’s ability to live out their potential. For Black children in Canada, the path to literacy is complicated by educational disparities rooted in anti-Black racism.
In 2016, Black students accounted for nearly half of all expulsions in Toronto, despite making up only 12% of the student population.
Nearly 50% of expulsions in Toronto were Black students.
Only 12% of the student population in the TDSB was Black.
In Toronto, 44% of Black students are performing below provincial standards in reading, compared to 14% of White and East Asian peers.
Reading interventions are most effective in kindergarten and Grade 1. However, such interventions are typically available after Grade 3, if at all.
Children who are not reading at grade level by the end of Grade 3 are at a higher risk of continuing to struggle – with impacts to future economic success, health and well-being.
Solution Insights
AREA ONE: SYSTEMIC
Address anti-Black racism
Barriers related to anti-Black racism should be addressed by improving system navigation
Stereotypes and negative attitudes toward Black students and families should be challenged and changed
Provide equitable opportunities
Increase opportunities for Black students related to education and employment
AREA TWO: INSTITUTIONAL
Eliminate institutional issues
Remove institution-related barriers that affect Black student success (e.g., class size, resource cuts)
Increase trustee advocacy
Trustees and school boards should use their power to enact change through policies, budgets, and accountability measures
Build educator capacity
Provide educators with resources that improve their ability to address systemic racism and to respond to emerging challenges within community and school environments
Improve educator capacity to engage Black students and families
Leverage community supports
Community organizations should be leveraged to provide support and address obstacles faced by Black students
AREA THREE: SOCIOCULTURAL
Improve family & system collaboration
Establish and improve initiatives that increase caregiver-educator engagement to build trust and improve resource access
Consider family limitations
Programs or supports must consider the limitations that families have to support their children by building in contingencies to ensure children will get support despite these limitations
Action at all levels of society is needed to ensure Black children and their families are being meaningfully supported. Our resources provide tools and solutions to engage individuals and community stakeholders to advocate for equity in education.
Resources
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Highlights research and recommendations from the study, with additional resources for community members.
Download
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First-of-its-kind study in Canada to explore the challenges faced by Black families and children in their reading journeys.
Download
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Résumé des résultats de la recherche en français.
Télécharger
Acknowledgements
The Reading Partnership is a Canadian registered charity that offers inclusive, interactive and evidence-informed literacy programming. We exist to build community and cultivate a love of reading for children and families, particularly in underrepresented, racialized neighbourhoods. TRP’s vision is that every child in every community has the literacy skills and self-determination to positively impact their world. Our educational tools and programs are shaped by the people who use them – and it’s why what we do works. Today, the organization serves over 2,000 families annually, helping children ages 0-12 across Canada develop the skills and confidence to read and learn independently.
Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation is dedicated to advancing equitable access to educational opportunities by removing the structural and systemic barriers that hinder children’s reading abilities. As Canada’s accelerator for evidence-based initiatives that improve children’s literacy in Canada, we work collaboratively to launch and scale proven solutions that strengthen families’ capacity to raise readers. Since 2018, we’ve enabled over 75,000 children in Canada to get a stronger start on their reading journey.
Black Health Alliance (BHA) centres Black communities in defining the challenges and barriers affecting our health and well-being. We provide a platform for Black people to establish a common voice around systemic problems, and we work to co-design and mobilize the tools, skills, partnerships, and investments needed to implement solutions that improve health outcomes for Black communities across Canada.
This research was made possible in part by funding support from TD Bank Group.
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