Literacy rates are declining in teens and children across America. This is impacting their ability to perform in school and everyday life.
In 2024, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment found that the average fourth grader’s score was two points lower compared to 2022 and five points lower compared to 2019. The average eighth grader’s score was two points lower compared to 2022 and five points lower compared to 2019. Lastly, the average twelfth grader’s score was three points lower than in 2019. This indicates that literacy rates in children and teens are drastically declining in the U.S.
“Most college professors are saying that they have a lot of students come into college who haven’t read a book. And that they are seeing more acceleration in kids who just simply don’t read and because of that they have less stamina and comprehension and inferencing skills,” Emily Sales (English) said.
Additionally, according to Regis University, students behind the curriculum make only one year’s worth of progress at each grade level, keeping them behind the rest of their classmates and making them more likely to repeat grades.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found in a test that 34% of students in the fourth grade are below basic reading level and about 27% of eighth grade students are below basic reading level. This will make it extremely difficult for these students to catch back up to their peers, making them behind.
“Reading really is the foundation for everything else. When students hit a wall with comprehension or just don’t have the endurance for a demanding text, it shows up across all their subjects. It affects how they analyze things, how they write, how they engage with primary sources,” Christina Causey (Library) said.
Causey noticed reading levels decline after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Fewer students are reading at a proficient level, and just as concerning to me, fewer students say they read for pleasure at all anymore,” she said. “The major shift is that students are reading differently. They’re reading short digital texts, video captions and AI-generated summaries. They’re spending less time reading longer or more complex material like books and in-depth articles.”
In a study that drew administrative data from 180 elementary schools in a school district in North Carolina, they found that third, fourth and fifth graders ended the 2020-21 school year with 0.54, 0.27 and 0.28 standard deviations behind the 2018–2019 school year reading standard deviations.
This has long term effects as it puts the students behind benchmark. The students will take a long time to catch up, if they ever do.
Dr. Jilliam Joe said on Learning A-Z that to improve literacy rates in students is to shift instruction to be more student centered, use technology intentionally and support teachers with professional development.
These tactics are important to improving literacy rates across the U.S. so that every student can receive a good education.
