Though U.S. literacy rates were already dipping prior to COVID, studies show that roughly a third of kindergarten through second-grade students are missing reading benchmarks compared to about 21% in 2019.
that has persisted even as students returned to classrooms.released last week by the National Center for Education Statistics. Special education and elementary school positions have seen the most vacancies.
Below benchmark rates are still largely moving in the wrong direction and a higher proportion of students than ever before are at medium to high risk for reading difficulties."The scope of the issue is large in scale and deserves districtwide, statewide, and national attention," one research brief noted.
"Effective instruction and intervention are critical because reading difficulties typically persist for students who do not develop adequate reading skills within the first three years of schooling," the authors of the Virginia study wrote. "In turn, reading deficits often compound to negatively affect other areas of academic learning, engagement, and success. Thus, without adequate, sustained, and targeted supports, it is likely that many of these students will not only continue to struggle with reading, but in other domains as well."