Inside the Shocking Literacy Crisis: Why US Teachers Are Sounding the Alarm Like Never Before

Inside the Shocking Literacy Crisis: Why US Teachers Are Sounding the Alarm Like Never Before

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that roughly just one-third of US students in fourth, eighth, and 12th grades are skilled at reading and have “solid academic performance and demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter.”

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In 2024, most students failed to meet or exceed reading standards in most states. In Illinois, Washington, D.C., and 40 other states, only one in three 4th graders met or exceeded these standards. Some schools in Illinois can’t even be proud about that, as none of their students managed to reach these stakes.

It’s very important that kids at these ages reach their reading and writing milestones, as it’s a critical time after which they won’t be able to absorb the curriculum during the remainder of their school years if they are illiterate. Later on, other subjects like social studies, math, and science can become incomprehensible. 

This is very troubling, as literacy supports many aspects of our lives, including our earning abilities, social and physical well-being, self-esteem, and even influences crime rates and hospital admissions. It also plays a big part in race and gender equality and can impact a person’s lifetime earning potential by 30-42%.

Fewer and fewer students are reading for pleasure

Image credits: Julia M Cameron (not the actual photo)

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The literacy situation that is currently unfolding is attributed by some to the pandemic and lost classroom time. “The news is not good,” said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. “We are not seeing the progress we need to regain the ground our students lost during the pandemic.”

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