The Reading Crisis

Hard Facts

Most students are not learning to read effectively in school. 66% of 4th grade students cannot read at a basic grade level. Nine million out of 11 million students struggle in their earliest school years. As a result, 126 million people—30% of American adults—read at or below a 5th grade level. Moreover, 32 million citizens—almost 10%—are illiterate. Source: PIAAC Proficiency Levels for Literacy.

Inadequate reading skills have severe consequences for children and our country. Poor reading ability can lead to behavioral issues and lower self-esteem, hinder academic achievement, reduce employment prospects, and increase the likelihood of crime and substance abuse. An estimated 60% of our nation’s prison population is illiterate, and illiteracy diminishes our country’s economic competitiveness and weakens our democracy.

How Did This Happen?

The root cause of the reading crisis is straightforward. There is a shortage of teachers who understand how to use structured language, which is the scientifically proven method of reading instruction effective for all learners. Students of all ages have the potential to succeed, but the education system fails them because it doesn’t prepare their teachers to teach proper reading skills.

Humans are naturally wired to speak, but learning to read is a complex, detail-focused process. Unfortunately, most colleges and education programs train future teachers using a widespread but disproven method. Currently, teachers are instructed to use whole language teaching, but this approach does not establish a solid foundation in phonics. In fact, it tends to “minimize or omit direct, systemic teaching of language,” which should include phoneme awareness, spelling patterns and rules, grammar, and letter-sound relationships. “Most children must be taught to read through a rather protracted process in which they are made aware of sounds and symbols that represent them, and then apply these skills automatically and attend to meaning.” Source: What Teachers Need To Know.

Recent history demonstrates that the education system cannot change and adapt quickly enough to alter the statistics mentioned above. Profitable, whole language curriculum textbooks continue to promote poor instruction. System-wide education reform cannot be bought or philanthropically transformed through large grants. To learn more, read or listen to “Sold A Story” or “Hard Words” by Emily Hanford.

Despite a government expenditure of $14,000 per child and $18 billion invested in professional development, the system fails to improve teacher skills because too many decision makers are involved. Only nine out of 1,200 professional development programs studied by The New Teacher Project were deemed effective.

Learn more about how Boon’s solutions can help reduce the reading crisis.