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A Look at the Current Crisis in Literacy Rates
Written by ULC Education Consultant Liz McChesney
As library professionals, we know reading is one of the most essential and foundational skills for people to succeed in the 21st century. Not only is a child’s school learning predicated upon the ability to read, but literacy is also tied directly to vocational success, and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. has linked literacy to health outcomes. A measure of childhood reading proficiency in the third-grade marks the transition between “learning to read" and "reading to learn” in schools.
In a young person’s education, the ability to read at a third-grade level often marks the transition between “learning to read” and “reading to learn.” Reading at this level can be tied to anticipated outcomes for a student’s ability to graduate from 8th-grade, secondary school success, and economic mobility.
Although reading is a central and civil right and essential skill, the nation’s assessment tool, the National Assessment of Educational Programs (NAEP) report, showed that in 2022, only 32% of fourth-graders could read at grade level. This is a challenge for educators, as remediating a reading issue for a student becomes significantly more complicated after 3rd Grade.
The pandemic exacerbated the decline in reading scores, especially for children in disinvested communities. It also spotlighted disparities in reading instruction, book ownership, and reading success. The high percentage of children who fail to read proficiently has been deemed a crisis in the United States, and many states are taking action through new policies regarding reading instructional methods. In response, some libraries — like the Toledo Lucas County Public Library—are embracing the science of reading to offer direct support so that all children can be strong readers.
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