It's a sobering experience to take a hard, cold look at the numbers. Every year thousands of students take standardized reading tests, and every year thousands fail them. If you are an educator or parent you are undoubtedly concerned about the children you know who struggle with simple reading tasks. The implications of this epidemic are costly.
Here's what we know:
- Children failing in reading in grade 1 are very likely to be failing in reading (and in all academic areas) in grades 4, 8, and 12
- Almost one in three of the 22 million American high school and middle school students are “struggling readers” – 70% of 8 graders and 65% of 12 graders cannot read at grade level
- 10-15% of reading impaired children drop out of high school
- Only 2% of reading impaired students complete 4 years of college
- About 50% of adolescents and young adults with criminal records have reading difficulties
- About 50% of young people with a history of substance abuse have reading problems
It is apparent that reading proficiency among older children is declining. Academic struggles can lead to a host of other problems for teens, including self-esteem issues, poor self-image, and depression. Now is the time to get back to the basics of good, solid reading skills. It’s time to embrace technology integrated with foundational phonetic learning. It’s time to save our children… because they are so much more than just a number.
Is it possible to reverse this trend? Share your comment below.
Source: NICHD (National Institute of Child Health & Human Development)