US Early Literacy Levels Remain Below Expectations
Mid-year DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment results indicate that only 56% of K-2 students in the United States are prepared for learning to read. This assessment, designed to measure early literacy skills, evaluates fundamental abilities such as word recognition, reading fluency, and comprehension.
The study also highlights that 58% of second-grade students have reached the necessary level for foundational reading education. Last year, this figure stood at 57%, while in the 2019-2020 academic year, it was 60%.
The research, conducted by Amplify, an education technology and research company, covers over 11,000 schools and two million students across the country. Amplify, which provides data-driven insights and digital education solutions, reports that while progress has been made in early literacy development, a significant proportion of students remain far behind.
To bridge this gap, states have introduced new literacy-focused laws. For example, Wisconsin’s Senate Bill 990 mandates professional development and reading assessments for early literacy. However, at a national level, reading scores among fourth and eighth-grade students continue to decline.
Kindergarten students have come closest to regaining pre-pandemic literacy levels. Amplify recommends evidence-based teaching methods, targeted support programmes, and annual literacy benchmarks to improve student outcomes.
Susan Lambert, Chief Academic Officer at Amplify, acknowledges the progress made but stresses that significant efforts are still required to bring all students up to the expected level. The study further highlights that schools closely monitoring at-risk students tend to achieve better results.