WHAT WORKS BEST FOR STRUGGLING READERS

THE ANSWERS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU

BY GEORGIE NORMAND, M.A.

READ THE ROOM: With reading fluency being a key predictor of school outcomes, reading scores represent a high stakes measure in terms of a child's academic and career trajectory.

The recently released 2022 Nation's Report Card for Reading showed the largest drop in reading achievement since the 1980s. While the educational chaos created by the pandemic certainly impacted performance, the sad truth is that reading scores have been in the basement for a good long time.

In pre-pandemic 2019, only 35% of fourth grade students scored in the at or above proficiency range. This means there are a lot of struggling readers out there. Without aggressive intervention, very few fourth graders with low reading proficiency will be able to catch up. With reading fluency being a key predictor of school outcomes, reading scores represent a high stakes measure in terms of a child's academic and career trajectory.