Really Great Reading’s Post

An important article in The 74 Media published yesterday brings to light a critical issue that too often goes unrecognized: a large number of older students are unable to progress beyond basic reading skills, holding them back from academic success and future opportunities. "Over 20% of students in fifth through seventh grade stumble over words they don’t recognize or can’t sound out, often preventing them from grasping the main idea of reading materials for school" That is roughly 1.3m kids in just those grade levels. https://lnkd.in/eR6_sjNE A heartfelt thank you to all the literacy advocates, Science of Reading experts, and dedicated educators who tirelessly raise awareness and deliver solutions to help students overcome this barrier. The Project for Adolescent Literacy (PAL), which was featured in the article is hosting a webinar next month that will highlight their recent survey that they conducted. Here is a link for more information and to register if you are interested. https://lnkd.in/ewnXAhry #LiteracyMatters #ScienceOfReading Readable English

We knew it, and there is an increasing body of evidence to demonstrate it: https://zurl.co/bx2g A proportion of children move from 3rd to 4th grade and beyond without foundational literacy skills, without adequate decoding skills, and their learning experience becomes a tough uphill struggle as the subject matter becomes more complex. Reading exercises (and even remedial teaching of reading) are more likely to focus on reading comprehension than on decoding. This seems to condemn children that missed the train in early grades to a never-ending struggle.

🚨 New Study Highlights Challenges for Older Readers 🚨 A recent study, highlighted by The 74 Media, reveals that many older students still struggle with basic reading skills, such as decoding, even after mastering early literacy. The study, from the Educational Testing Service and the Advanced Education Research and Development Fund, draws on data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), showing that while many interventions focus on younger readers, older students also need targeted support to close gaps in reading fluency and comprehension. At Littera Education, we tackle this issue through high-impact virtual tutoring, paired with the Orton-Gillingham-based Reading Horizons curriculum. Our personalized tutoring helps struggling readers build essential skills and improve outcomes. 📖 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/guZBwkpT 📅 🔗 Schedule a time to learn how we can support your students! https://lnkd.in/gEwfcrSK #LitteraEducation #ReadingHorizons #Education #Literacy #HighImpactTutoring #ReadingIntervention #OlderReaders #Decoding #The74Million

📚✨ Supporting Schools. Developing Strong Readers. Are you curious why so many students struggle with reading as they get older? The 74 Million has an eye-opening article on the reading crisis and what it means for students’ futures. "National tests from 2022 showed alarming declines in eighth graders’ reading skills." Yet, as one expert says, "There’s an assumption … that kids can self-teach.” 🌱 Wisconsin Reads 📖 is partnering with schools to equip every student with the reading skills they need to succeed - not just foundational skills such as phonics and phonemic awareness but a comprehensive focus on reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary and those crucial foundational skills.  Don’t miss this insightful read—it’s time to prioritize literacy at every level. Reach out if you’d like to learn more about Wisconsin Reads! 📩

📚 Important new research on reading interventions reveals a critical gap: Many older students lack critical foundational reading skills and fall below the "decoding threshold," limiting how far they can progress in their reading abilities as texts become more complex. As Rebecca Sutherland, Associate Director of Research at our sister organization Reading Reimagined notes: "We don't test students' foundational literacy skills after 3rd grade as a rule, unless they've been flagged as needing to have special attention." This comprehensive study from ETS and AERDF examined reading growth of 17,000 students in grades 5-9, finding that students below the decoding threshold showed significantly slower progress in critical reading subskills over time. This research underscores the urgent need to identify and support older students who still struggle with foundational reading skills. It's time to reimagine how we approach literacy intervention and that is what we are doing here at Magpie Literacy - using emerging research to build a comprehensive solution to end illiteracy. Read the full article in Education Week.

🚨 The State of Child Literacy: Key Insights from New Research Business Insider reports a concerning trend: reading scores among fourth graders have hit their lowest point since 2005. Here's what educators are seeing: Even strong readers are becoming "afraid of complex or extended reading tasks" Only 37% of US fourth graders passed their reading test at peak performance (2017) Early intervention is crucial: students who miss reading milestones before third grade face a "tough road ahead" But there's hope! Teacher Jeff Jarvis suggests: "Put down your own electronic devices and read with your kids, even if it's just for 15 minutes a day." Delaware educators & parents: What creative solutions are you using to inspire young readers? Share your strategies below. Source: Business Insider, December 2024 https://hubs.li/Q030F40v0 #literacy #literacymatters #earlyliteracy #literacyforall #literacyday #literacyskills #dereads #netde #dereads #delawareliteracyalliance

Current research suggests a need to extend foundational reading skills beyond 3rd grade. Older students with weak decoding skills make slower academic gains. I’m sure this isn’t news to classroom teachers. However, classroom teachers generally don’t have training (or time) to address foundational reading skills with their older students.

Adolescence is a crucial period in a child’s development and education. By that time, students in grades 4 through 8 should be strong readers who are able to decode, comprehend, recall and think critically about the content they are reading in their classwork. Yet too many students reach their preteen and even teen years unable to read proficiently for their grade level. Read more: https://brnw.ch/21wIzl1

Exciting update! Michigan's Science of Reading bills are gaining traction, signaling positive change for literacy education! Let's champion evidence-based reading strategies for student success! 📖 🌟#ReadingRevolution #ScienceOfReading #LiteracyForAll

**Reading progress requires us to identify and address knowledge gaps at the level of tier 2 and tier 3: it must be taught *NOT* caught!** This week in Education Week: "The Educational Testing Service and Advanced Inclusive Research and Development study examined the reading growth of about 17,000 students aged 10-14 between 2011 and 2014 on an ETS assessment, Capti ReadBasix. Students who were below the decoding threshold had lower scores across reading subskills—like vocabulary and comprehension—than their peers. They also made much slower progress in those subskills over time. For example, 10 year olds who were above the decoding threshold grew 5.5 points in vocabulary knowledge each year on average. Students who were below the threshold only grew 2.3 points each year." So what? Expanding a child's lexicon requires deliberate, carefully planned curriculum coverage and a language-rich culture. If we do not intervene at scale, for many pupils, we are entrenching inequality and compounding the problem. Our forthcoming roundtables in Leeds and Manchester (more below!) will seek to discuss these issues on a curricula and classroom level. Roundtables Leeds: https://lnkd.in/emXSEdse Manchester: https://lnkd.in/eS5mM7Dy Pod: https://lnkd.in/eBttEi7u Article: https://lnkd.in/edF8bvre https://lnkd.in/eRCKQBFT