Reading teaches what AI can’t: imagination and empathy
As reading for pleasure declines, Central Texas leaders unite to rekindle curiosity and connection for children through books.
In an age when artificial intelligence can write essays, summarize novels and generate instant answers, we risk losing something profoundly human: our capacity for deep thought, imagination and empathy. The very skills that have fueled innovation and civic engagement in Central Texas for generations — critical thinking, creative expression and curiosity — are cultivated not through a quick AI inquiry, but through reading.
Unfortunately, reading for pleasure has declined dramatically among young people. Recent national data show that fewer than one in three students read daily for enjoyment, and the numbers continue to fall. The consequences are far-reaching: students struggle to think critically, express themselves clearly and connect with the world around them.
Next month, E3 Alliance will assume the collaborative stewardship of the Greater Austin Reading Coalition, a network of more than 30 organizations — schools, libraries, nonprofits and businesses — joining forces to reverse this trend. Our goal is not only to improve literacy outcomes, but to bring back the joy of reading for every child in Central Texas and sustain a literacy-rich environment for the region.
Founded in 2021, the Greater Austin Reading Coalition is a diverse network that supports the local literacy community to ensure that all students from kindergarten to third grade — especially those who identify as Black, indigenous and people of color and are most affected by inequitable systems — are reading on grade level by the end of third grade, a pivotal point in a child’s reading development.
E3 will work with the members of the coalition to expand the well-received PART (Parents Advancing Reading Transformations) Parent Learning Series that helps parents understand the foundations of reading, and advance policies and practices that can have a systemic impact on our youngest learners.
Why does this matter? Because reading is more than an academic skill. It’s a cornerstone of community. When children read stories that reflect their own lives and open windows into others’, they develop empathy and a sense of belonging. When families read together, they strengthen bonds across generations. When communities support literacy, they build a foundation for a stronger, more resilient regional economy and civil society.
Encouraging young readers, especially in the elementary years, must become a collective priority. Communities can help in powerful ways:
- Families can create reading rituals: 10 minutes before bed, a weekend trip to the library or simply reading aloud together.
- Schools can dedicate time for independent reading and celebrate student choice, helping young readers discover books that excite them.
- Libraries and community centers can host story hours, book swaps and reading festivals that make reading social and joyful.
- Employers and civic organizations can sponsor literacy events and volunteer programs that connect professionals with young readers.
Through the Greater Austin Reading Coalition, we aim to connect these efforts — to align schools, libraries and local partners in a shared mission: nurturing not just literacy, but imagination. Because when we help children fall in love with reading, we prepare them to lead, innovate and collaborate in ways no machine can replicate.
Central Texas has long been known for its creativity, entrepreneurship and community spirit. Let’s ensure the next generation inherits those strengths — starting with the simple, transformative act of opening a book.