ABOUT US
It Starts With Reading was created by Heather Underwood, David Walker, and Gloria Yanez *also known as Group 11* for KINE 4349 to support awareness of 4th grade reading proficiency and the public health factors connected to literacy. Our website was designed to present important data in a clear, accessible format for parents and caregivers. We focused on showing why reading proficiency matters, where disparities exist, and what actions may help improve outcomes for children.
Heather is a Public Health senior at UTA. She learned to read at age 4 and quickly developed a deep love for books. By 1st grade she was reading novels and by 3rd grade she was immersed in authors like R. L. Stine, Judy Blume, and The Baby-Sitters Club series. Reading became both a source of joy and a place of escape from a traumatic childhood.
Heather remains a strong advocate for child literacy and believes reading is one of the most powerful tools a child can develop. She encourages parents and caregivers to read to their children, read with them, and let children read aloud whenever possible. A lifetime of knowledge, curiosity, and opportunity begins with one simple step. It starts with reading.
OUR CONTRIBUTIONS
HEATHER UNDERWOOD
Heather contributed to content development, editing, and overall website structure. She revised written sections for clarity and reading level, ensured alignment with assignment requirements, and supported the development and refinement of data visualizations and page layout. Heather created the graphics and images and compiled the references and in-text citations for the site. She created a map of the U.S. using the Tableau program, the map shows the percentage of 4th graders reading at or above proficiency level in each state. She also created a bar chart showing the percentages of 4th graders reading below basic proficiency in economically advantaged and disadvantaged students.
DAVID WALKER
David contributed to data/information collection, and editing. He edited certain webpages making sure the font, size, and punctuation were correct. He created the graph depicting male and female NAEP scores from 2017-2024. He found other organizations with similar goals and referenced with proper citation.
GLORIA YANEZ
Gloria contributed to the website by enhancing the fonts and reorganizing the "Ready to Help" section for better user experience. She conducted insightful research on data visualization, resulting in an engaging chart that illustrates the percentage of 4th grade students by school locale from 2017 to 2024, effectively highlighting their reading proficiency across various environments. Additionally she helped in improving the layout in the "Ready to Help" section which addressed critical information regarding progress, interventions, and recommendations. She reviewed the website to ensure that the fonts and sizes were consistent and aligned with the overall theme, enhancing its visual appeal and effectiveness.
