Is literacy getting worse?

A larger share of students are poor readers Out of 31 countries and territories for which PIRLS data is comparable between 2016 and 2021, 22 countries (or 71%) show that in 2021 more children were below minimum reading proficiency than in 2016.

Is literacy increasing or decreasing?

UNESCO data shows that the youth literacy rate was nearly 92% worldwide in 2020 up from 77% in 1975. But illiteracy remains a global problem. At least 763 million adults around the globe lack basic literacy skills, and two-thirds of them are women.

Is there a decline in literacy?

First study on state of global education since COVID-19 pandemic also focused on the mental state of students. A global education survey has revealed an “unprecedented” decline in academic progress in many countries.

Are we facing a literacy crisis?

We are in the midst of a literacy crisis. Our kids are struggling—experiencing the largest decline in reading scores in 30 years. How we respond will determine the success of our nation's children, and the future of this country.

Are reading levels declining?

The declines in reading were more pronounced for lower performing students, but dropped across all percentiles. The math scores were even more disappointing. On a scale of 500 points, the declines ranged from 6 to 8 points for middle and high performing students, to 12 to 14 points for low performing students.

Inside America’s literacy crisis and efforts to change how kids learn to read | ABCNL

Why is reading losing popularity?

Why Has Reading Books Declined? The poll did not analyze the cause of the decline. However, a likely explanation is that this decline closely tracks the rise of social media and smartphones. Reading books is a leisure activity that struggles to compete with the algorithmic engineering underlying most online content.

Why so many American kids are struggling to read?

In short, children raised in poverty, those with limited proficiency in English, those from homes where the parents' reading levels and practices are low, and those with speech, language, and hearing handicaps are at increased risk of reading failure.

Why is US literacy so low?

The burden of poverty places significant constraints on individuals' educational opportunities. Limited access to books, educational resources, and enrichment activities can hinder literacy development, perpetuating the cycle of low literacy rates within families and communities.

Why is literacy falling?

November 2, 2022. While California's literacy crisis certainly predates the pandemic, with less than half of California children reading at grade level back in 2019, the fallout of the pandemic, the devastating impact of school closures and remote learning, has sent test scores plummeting further.

Are kids struggling to read?

Yet we fail to ignite that pilot light, so today some one in five adults in the United States struggles with basic literacy, and after more than 25 years of campaigns and fads, American children are still struggling to read. Eighth graders today are actually a hair worse at reading than their counterparts were in 1998.

What states have the worst literacy rates?

The states with the lowest literacy rates are New Mexico, California, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Nevada, New York, Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

How serious is America's literacy problem?

Illiteracy affects 18% of US adults (approximately 57.4 million people), most commonly impacting black people, Hispanic people, and low-income individuals. Illiteracy is perpetuated from one generation to the next and leads to higher chances of unemployment and poverty.

Do 54% of adults lack literacy?

130 million Americans—54% of adults between the ages of 16 and 74 years old—lack proficiency in literacy, essentially reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. Often, counties with the lowest literacy rates are the same areas that experience poor health, poverty, and low economic mobility.

Which US state has the highest literacy rate?

New Hampshire has the highest literacy rate in the US, at 94.2%. The top 5 states in the US by literacy rate include Minnesota (94.0%), North Dakota (93.7%), Vermont (93.4%), and South Dakota (93.0%).

What country has the lowest literacy rate?

What is the reading crisis?

The majority of students are not learning to read effectively in school. 66% of 4th grade students are failing to read at basic grade level. 9 million of 11 million students are failing in their earliest school years.

What percent of Americans are illiterate?

Nationwide, on average, 79% of U.S. adults are literate in 2022. 21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2022.

Are students grades getting worse?

Scores for 13-year-olds fell 9 points in math between the 2019-20 school year and the 2022-23 school year. The average reading scores fell 4 points. The results are the latest in a line of data from the NAEP over the past few years that have all shown widespread declines in student achievement.

Why do kids not like reading anymore?

It could be a combination of watching too much television at home and doing a lot of boring worksheets in school. Once children lose interest in reading, it's hard to get them back. The motivation to read also tends to decrease as kids get older. Reading is like any other skill.

Why 65% of fourth graders can't really read?

Emily Hanford reveals how America's educators adopted a flawed system for teaching reading to kids—and, as a result, completely failed them. Many parents saw America's public education system crumble under the weight of the pandemic.

Why don't children read anymore?

The format of books doesn't interest them.

Social media, video games, and quick online videos are all tough competition for the experience of reading a paper-and-ink book. Kids need adults to help them slow down a bit and set aside time to read. How to help: Limit the amount of time kids can spend on screens each day.

Does Gen Z read books?

In fact, with so many genres to explore and so much fiction to consume across various on and offline formats, Gen Z maintains strong and regular reading habits with nearly 40% reading daily or a few days each week, and 55% still reading once a week or more.

Why is it so hard to read now?

If reading has been tough for you lately, you're not alone. Several of my book-loving friends have mentioned how hard it is to read more than a few pages these days. We're stressed, and our brains are struggling to keep up with change, uncertainty, and even grief.

Do kids read less nowadays?

Nearly half of 6–8-year-olds (46%) say they are frequent readers (reading books five or more days a week), this level declines to 32% of 9–11-year-olds, 21% of 12–14-year-olds, and 15% of 15–17-year-olds.