Turning the Page on Literacy: Methuen’s Community Effort Begins

This fall, the Nevins Library proudly partnered in launching the Methuen Literacy Partnership, a community-wide initiative focused on strengthening early reading skills. Research is clear: children who are not proficient readers by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, and early reading struggles often affect every subject as students move through school.

Organizers of the Literacy program pictured from left to right, Krista McLeod, Director of the Nevins Memorial Library, Jessi Magee, Jessica Kallin, state Rep. Ryan M. Hamilton and Mary Beth Donovan-Grassi.

Here in Methuen, nearly half of our students are reading below grade level, which underscores just how important it is for all of us to work together. Supporting our youngest readers is a shared community responsibility — it does not rest solely on our schools or on families. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a reader.

The Partnership is currently in its discovery phase, seeking insight from parents, educators, and residents to understand what our children need most. Your experiences and observations will help us design programs that truly reflect Methuen’s strengths, challenges, and hopes for its students.

We invite you to visit www.methuenreads.org and click on “Community Survey.” The survey is brief, and your input will directly shape the next steps of this effort. It will remain open until December 12.

Thank you for being part of Methuen’s collective commitment to ensuring every child grows into a confident, capable reader.