Five Worrisome Literacy Statistics that Show Why Reading Struggles Need Early Intervention

July 15, 2022

Literacy Statistics

Reading struggles are not uncommon. However, the longer a child struggles with reading, the harder it might be for them to catch up to grade-level benchmarks. Unfortunately, some children never reach grade-level expectations.

No child is a statistic, yet these five literacy statistics highlight the importance of early intervention for those with reading struggles:

  • There is a 90 percent chance that a child who doesn’t read well in first grade will continue to struggle in fourth grade.
  • According to Edweek (in relation to the pandemic), “More than 1 in 3 children in kindergarten through grade 3 have little chance of reading on grade level by the end of the school year without major and systemic interventions.”

Literacy Statistics

Reading Levels as Adults

Parents view their children as children, yet childhood reverberates into adulthood. More than half of adults can’t read at a sixth grade level. What this shows is stunted reading growth and children who were never able to catch up.

When children begin to show signs of reading struggles, the child might not struggle enough to receive additional help or qualify for reading programs. This doesn’t mean that parents cannot intervene.

The sooner a parent identifies their child’s reading difficulties, the easier it might be for them to find help or resources to boost the child’s confidence and proficiency. For parents, this might mean researching different enrichment options and tutors or simply being the squeaky wheel.

When parents know their child is having trouble, they can reach out to their child’s teacher to find out the best ways to provide help. Teachers likely already know the child is struggling.

Even if the child cannot qualify for reading intervention programs, some teachers could provide helpful hints for parents to provide help at home. In addition, parents need to understand their child’s specific reading struggles.

Children who have difficulty with decoding need different tools than a child who struggles with comprehension. Parents who have a limited budget could find free apps that provide reading help via Google Play or the App Store.

Free apps might be designed as games, and parents might need to review the app to ensure that it will help their child.

Only 1/3 of Fourth Graders Read Proficiently

Fourth grade could be a turning point for young readers. At this grade level, statistics show that only about 1/3 of students are reading at a proficient level.

If parents discover that their child isn’t proficient, it isn’t too late to provide help. If a child is reading far below grade level, they could qualify for intervention via the school.

Parents who notice struggles with their child also could make an appointment with the pediatrician. The doctor could recommend that the child see other specialists to rule out any medical conditions, learning disorders or even issues related to hearing.

Many issues could cause learning struggles and reading difficulties. Parents can reach out to their child’s teacher to ask about intervention processes, too.

Literacy Statistics

When a Child Struggles to Read in First Grade

Parents might realize that their first grader is falling behind in reading proficiency. Understanding a child’s struggles early enables parents to provide outreach and support to guide the child’s struggle and help them gain proficiency.

Most teachers (or schools) send home reading reports periodically to help parents understand their child’s reading level. These reports can help parents see their child’s reading level and if it correlates to grade-level expectations.

Parents should keep in mind, though, that children also read at a different pace. If an older sibling was a proficient or accelerated reader, parents might believe this is the norm. They might perceive that their child is struggling when, really, the child is simply on grade-level.

In first grade, parents can read to children every day and encourage children to read aloud, too. Ask questions during reading to help gauge understanding. Play games to help children memorize and master sight words. In addition, find books that are appropriate for first graders.

If a child is struggling with sounds and blends, there are a number of apps and games that can be used to help them learn. Do a quick search on Google Play or the App Store to find games and apps related to phonics and letter identification.

Literacy Statistics

Less than Half of High School Grads Read Proficiently (or Above)

When less than half of high school students graduate reading proficiently (or above), parents might wonder why and how this could happen. Every student has a story, and sometimes when children fall behind in reading it’s difficult for them to ever catch up.

Struggles vary with every child. The best way that parents can help young readers to read proficiently and hit grade-level benchmarks is to follow their progress closely and guide their reading as needed.

Parents should be sure that children are reading books that aren’t too difficult. In addition, parents should let children choose their own books.

When children have the power of choice, they may perceive reading a bit more positively. Parents can let children read a variety of different materials. All reading is beneficial; children can read comic books, newspapers, graphic novels and even magazines.

Encourage daily reading, but parents also should remember that they are their child’s greatest advocate and mentor. If parents don’t read, children might wonder why they need to read.

Host family reading times and encourage everyone in the family to grab a book, magazine, etc. Show that reading is valuable and important.

Advocacy also is key to helping children. Again, some children might not immediately qualify for enrichment or intervention via the school. Parents might need to be squeaky to try to push for help.

Unfortunately, though, some children might not struggle enough to get the help they need at school. Enrichment and additional reading help might fall to parents.

The Impact of the Pandemic on Literacy

Edweek reported that a third of students needed major intervention to help them read at benchmark levels because of the impact of the pandemic. Many children might have struggled with virtual learning, quarantines and other issues related to classroom instruction during the pandemic.

If parents have realized that their child fell behind during virtual learning or other pandemic-related issues, they are not alone. Helping a child could require more back-and-forth communication with the school, and parents also could find ways to help guide their child’s reading at home.

Literacy Statistics

How a Reading Program Could Help Struggling Readers

Parents might have limited resources available to help their child gain reading proficiency. Not all parents can afford to hire a tutor. However, parents could use a reading program at home that is designed to guide reading instruction.

Readability can be used from preschool through fifth grade and helps children who struggle with decoding, comprehension and/or vocabulary. The program includes a built-in AI tutor that is programmed with voice-recognition software.

Children read books aloud through the program. In this way, the AI tutor learns the child’s voice and can identify reading struggles. When the tutor detects the child struggling to decode a word, it will intervene and provide help.

At the end of every story, the tutor also asks questions about the book to better understand the child’s comprehension of what they read. If a child answers a question incorrectly, the tutor will show them a section of the story that provides clues. The tutor also reads this aloud, and the child has another chance to answer the question.

Readability also includes a list of vocabulary words to accompany every book. In addition, children can tap any word in a story to hear the meaning or hear it used in a sentence. The discovered words are added into the full list of vocabulary words that the child can access and review at any time.

Parents who need to help their child gain reading confidence and proficiency can sign up for a free trial of Readability to better understand if the program is a fit for their child. The seven-day free trial provides children with access to stories and the AI tutor. Sign up today to begin exploring Readability.