In the avalanche of numbers that come with Ohio’s annual school report cards, one stands above all others in importance. The number speaks volumes about a community’s well-being, its desirability as a place to live, and its prospects for the future.

That number measures third-grade proficiency in reading and reading comprehension, awkwardly described by the state as “English Language Arts.” And the reason proficiency in third-grade reading matters so much involves what has now become accepted science on brain development .

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are easily the most important. It is then that the brain grows in a way that wires it to learn. About 80% of a child’s brain develops in the first three years of life. That figure rises to about 90% by age 5.

By fourth grade, t

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