Literacy Coverage

20 Famous North Carolina authors and their must-read books

Explore North Carolina's literary gems! From David Sedaris's humor to Maya Angelou's powerful prose, discover 20 authors and their must-read works.

Kaila Curry, Audience Engagement Producer

Young NC students making gains on reading skills

It's a sign of accelerated learning and hope that more children will be ready for tougher coursework as they get older.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Fact check: Tuberville says half of high school graduates 'can't read their diploma'

During a discussion at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said: "Half the kids in this country, when they graduate, can't read their diploma." PolitiFact checks his claim.

Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact reporter

Many NC kids aren't reading well. How teacher colleges are racing to fix the problem

The University of North Carolina System's universities have less than four months to catch up with the 'science of reading,' and improve how they prepare prospective teachers to teach reading before the Board of Governors takes action.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

Lawmakers try again to remove literacy test, a Jim Crow relic, from NC constitution

North Carolina's constitution still requires a literacy test for voting, a Jim Crow-era tactic used to exclude Black voters. NC voters in 1970 refused to remove it. State House lawmakers want to try again in 2022.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Literacy test repeal before House committee

The House State Government committee discusses repealing the literacy test requirement for voting from the North Carolina constitution.

North Carolina lawmakers hope to repeal voter literacy test

North Carolina's constitution still includes an unenforceable relic of the Jim Crow era -- a voter literacy test. Some state lawmakers are trying, again, to do away with it.

Senate leader, NC superintendent back phonics in schools to boost literacy

Elementary school teachers will be retrained to teach phonics in early grades to help improve literacy among North Carolina youngsters, under a bill filed Monday that is backed by top lawmakers and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt.

Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor

Berger: Politics shouldn't derail push to improve student literacy

Elementary school teachers will be retrained to teach phonics in early grades to help improve literacy among North Carolina youngsters, under a bill filed Monday that is backed by top lawmakers and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt.

NC Senate leader, school superintendent emphasize literacy effort

North Carolina Senate leaders discuss their latest legislation to improve student performance in public schools.

COVID-19 response, teacher pay and literacy among top 2021 priorities for state education leaders

COVID-19 response and long-term planning are the top legislative budget priorities for State Superintendent Catherine Truitt, State Board of Education Chairman Eric Davis and State Board Vice Chairman Alan Duncan.

Emily Walkenhorst, WRAL education reporter

UNC English professor, key writer on Black and gay culture, passes away

Randall Kenan, an English and comparative literature professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, died on Friday night. He was 57 years old.

Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer

This Cary student heard NC children are struggling to read. She collected 1,240 books to help them.

Bria Wurst told her neighbors she was collecting books to help children read. She collected 1,240 in total.

Kelly Hinchcliffe, WRAL education reporter

Parents, kids have more interaction reading print books than e-books together

Parents who read to their child on a tablet, whether or not the digital book is interactive, had less give-and-take social interaction than when they read a traditional book, according to a study.

$4,000 found in donated book

On Sunday, Cathy McAllister picked up a book titled, "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," at a book sale in Phoenix. As she was about to put it aside, she noticed that someone had cut a large hole into the book's pages and placed $4,000 inside.

Remnant of Jim Crow era remains in NC constitution

In the national debate over race and racism, people sometimes forget how recently racial discrimination was written into the law. In North Carolina, it still is.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Literacy test remains part of NC constitution, but lawmakers want to get rid of it

In the national debate over race and racism, people sometimes forget how recently racial discrimination was written into the law. In North Carolina, it still is.

Netflix to produce multiple Roald Dahl streaming series

Oompa loompa doompety doo, I've got a perfect puzzle for you. Oompa loompa doompety dee, Roald Dahl is coming to streaming TV.

Sopan Deb, New York Times

Study: No gains for North Carolina 3rd grade literacy effort

Researchers say North Carolina's Read to Achieve literacy program has had no gains with five years of test scores showing little benefit.

Get a Durham Bulls ticket deal when you donate children's book at Aug. 8 game

The Durham Bulls will host Bring a Book Night at its 7 p.m., Aug. 8 game.

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Go Ask Mom editor

Clifford, Dog Man headed to summer reading event in Durham

The event includes photo ops with costume characters, crafts, activities, a prize wheel, giveaways and more. They'll also be handing out lots of free books.

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Go Ask Mom editor

7 ways to encourage kids to read every day this summer

After a year of teachers telling them what to read, students getting ready for a long break may be eager to put the books aside this summer and hang out at the pool - or on their phones - instead.

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Go Ask Mom editor.

Superintendent Johnson allocates funds for literacy training and coaching

NC Superintendent Mark Johnson said he realized the Read to Achieve funds set aside for early literacy -- at least $15 million -- were not being utilized when he took office

Liz Bell, EducationNC reporter

Story time? You can now outsource bedtime stories to an astronaut

Of course, I'd never recommend missing out on the beautiful, cuddly moments that come when reading stories to little kids, but you can now tack on a few extra story time minutes with astronauts in the International Space Station.

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Go Ask Mom editor

Mark your calendars: Letterland returns to Pullen Park for day in April

Wake County elementary schools in grades kindergarten to second grade, along with many preschool programs, use Letterland, a program that brings letters to life.

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Go Ask Mom editor