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Why Reading by Third Grade Matters
According to a report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT project, millions of American children reach fourth grade without learning to read proficiently.
The shortfall is especially pronounced among low-income children: Of the fourth-graders who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading test in 2009, 83% of children from low-income families—and 85% of low-income students who attend high-poverty schools—failed to reach the “proficient” level in reading.
In New Mexico, only 20% of fourth graders read at a proficient level - ranking NM 49th in the nation for reading proficiency, just ahead of Louisiana. Read more at the New Mexico Independent
Why is reading proficiently by third grade so important?
It is a crucial marker in a child’s educational development. Failure to read proficiently is linked to higher rates of school dropout, which suppresses individual earning potential as well as the nation’s competitiveness and general productivity.
Low state standards mask the extent of America’s low reading proficiency. Each state sets its own standard and uses its own test to measure proficiency. Children in many states may be nominally proficient but still lack the skills to actually read at the level required to learn efficiently in fourth grade and beyond.
Several factors contribute to low reading proficiency:
- Children must be ready to succeed when they get to school (cognitively, socially, emotionally, and physically)
- Students must be present at school
- Students need high quality learning opportunities, in order to sustain learning gains
For millions of American kids, these conditions are not met.
Tags: Education