It’s time to be honest with ourselves, every child does not have equal access to books, reading support, and adults that inspire them to read. The pandemic has made things worse, and millions of children fell behind and may never catch up.
What is needed?
- Excitement about reading
- Motivation to read
- Access to reading materials at home
- Technology that addresses language gaps
Who is most affected?
- Low income students
- Engligh language learners
- Underachieving school districts
- Elementary-aged kids during the pandemic
Kids who struggle with reading now will continueto struggle. While most students enter school with an enthusiasm for learning to read, many become progressively less motivated. If students do not have a strong reading foundation, they will continue to decline in their education.
How bad is it? In 2022, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted a special administration of the NAEP long-term trend (LTT).
NCES reported the largest reading score drop in reading since 1990.
