How Helping a Kid Read Changes a Neighborhood

A few days ago, I sat down with Cody Shew, the principal at Franklin Elementary right here in Delano, and Brandt Wilson, who leads Love Schools with USD 259. What they shared was both eye-opening and deeply motivating.

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At Franklin, only 30% of students are currently reading at their grade level. That means most kids - roughly two out of three - are behind. Cody’s goal is simple but powerful: move that number 1% at a time. One student by one student. Because when momentum starts, transformation follows.

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Here are a few more things to consider from the book Read - How God’s People Can Bring Justice Through Literacy:

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1 in 3 children in the 4th grade are below the basic reading level in the United States.

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80% of low-income 4th graders never reach reading proficiency.

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60% of young men entering prison in the U.S. cannot read at a 3rd grade level.

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130 million adults in the United States struggle to read basic sentences.

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Why Reading Matters to the Gospel

Helping a kid learn to read isn’t just a school issue - it’s a Kingdom issue. Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as a communicator - a God who speaks, writes, and reveals. Creation begins with His Word. Redemption begins with His Word made flesh.

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When a child learns to read, they gain access not just to information, but to formation. They can encounter God’s truth for themselves. They can read stories that shape imagination, hope, and possibility. They can dream about who they might become.

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“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”— Proverbs 18:15

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“Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”— Matthew 19:14

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Helping a child read is one of the most tangible ways we can open the door to that Kingdom. It’s how we seek the good of the city (Jeremiah 29:7) right here in Delano.

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What I Learned in West Africa

About ten years ago, I was part of a small survey team that traveled to Burkina Faso and Mali in West Africa. We were searching for people groups who didn’t yet have the Bible in their own language. Along the way, we met the Dogon people, who spoke more than seventy dialects.

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As we sat with them, we learned that they didn’t have a written language at all - they were an oral storytelling culture. But something amazing was happening: they had just begun introducing education. They were working to create a written form of their language so they could pass on knowledge to the next generation.

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For them, literacy wasn’t about status or modernity - it was about legacy. They knew that if their children could learn to read, they could preserve wisdom, faith, and community identity for generations to come.

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That moment reshaped the way I see education - not as a luxury, but as a lifeline. Whether in a remote village in Mali or a classroom in Delano, helping kids read is helping a people flourish.

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How 30 Minutes Can Change Everything

Sometimes we think changing the world takes big programs or huge budgets. But at Franklin Elementary, change looks like one volunteer sitting with one student, listening to one story, and helping them sound out the words. 

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That one act builds confidence, connection, and capacity. It says to a child, “You belong. You can do this. And I’m here to help.”

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Cody said something that stuck with me:

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“When momentum starts in a classroom, it starts in a neighborhood.”

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When kids grow in literacy, families grow in stability. When families grow stronger, communities grow healthier. And when communities grow healthier, hope starts to feel possible again.

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The Theology of Presence

Jesus didn’t transform lives from a distance. He showed up. He sat down. He listened. He taught. He empowered. And that’s what we want to model as a church - being present in the places where God is already working.

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When you volunteer at Franklin - when you take 30 minutes of your week to listen to a child read - you’re doing something profoundly spiritual. You’re stepping into God’s redemptive story in Delano. You’re showing a kid that they are seen, valued, and capable.

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That’s formation. That’s mission. That’s love in action.

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How You Can Help

• Volunteer: Reach out to Travis directly to volunteer at Franklin Elementary or through

our Love Schools partnership to become a reading buddy.

(travis@thedistrictchurchwichita.com)

• Pray: Ask God to multiply the small steps - 30% to 35%, 35% to 40% - and to give our

teachers endurance and joy.

• Encourage: Speak life into educators. A quick note or prayer goes further than you

Think.

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As a church, our heart is not just to be in Delano, but for Delano. And maybe one of the most powerful ways to do that right now is this simple, sacred act - help a kid read.

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Because when a child learns to read, a neighborhood learns to hope.