Low literacy rates persist, particularly in low socioeconomic areas. Recent data shows that almost 70% of students in low-income 4th grades are below the basic reading level. We know struggling readers are more likely to display behavioral issues in the short term, and that the negative effects on the long term have been well established. Three of four people on welfare can’t read and three out of five in prison lack basic literacy skills. As summarized in a New York Times article entitled “It’s ‘Alarming’: Children Are Severely Behind in Reading,” we are reminded that poor readers are more likely to drop out of high school, earn less money as adults, and become involved in the criminal justice system.
Literacy challenges have intensified through the pandemic, demonstrated in states like California where 3rd grade English Language results were lower in 2022 than they were in 2019, leading to the following statement regarding our current reality: “The scores may be brutal … but they’re far from shocking. Experts believe that the uproar surrounding falling test results is meant to distract from the fact that this challenge…
