What percentage of American kids can't read?

Biennial testing through NAEP consistently shows that two thirds of U.S. children are unable to read with proficiency. An astounding 40 percent are essentially nonreaders.

What is the illiteracy rate for children in the US?

Approximately 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level. Almost 70% of low-income fourth grade students cannot read at a basic level. 49% of 4th graders eligible for free and reduced-price meals finished below “Basic” on the NAEP reading test.

Why are so many American kids 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 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.

What percentage of US students read at grade level?

Only 35 percent of fourth graders are reading at or above grade level. In addition, 64 percent of eighth graders are reading below grade level, whereas 36 percent are reading at or above grade level.

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

How many American students can't read?

California has the lowest literacy rate in the country, with 23% of them having little to no proficiency in reading skills.

Is literacy declining in the US?

Children as well as adults are facing the effects of the crisis: approximately 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level, according to the National Literacy Institute. Of the low-income population of children in the U.S., almost 70% cannot read at a basic level.

Do 54% of Americans read below 6th grade level?

Low literacy levels among adults in the United States are a major concern, with 54% of adults aged 16–74 years old, or about 130 million people, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level[1][2][3][6].

What grade can most kids read?

First grade.

In this year, most kids learn to read many more words. They sound out words with a variety of phonics patterns, recognize a growing list of words by sight, and connect meaning to the words and sentences they read. Most first-graders can read simple books independently by the end of the school year.

What percent of high school students can't read?

According to a study conducted in late April 2015 by the US Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in the United States can't read above a fifth grade level, and 19% of high school graduates can't read.

Is reading losing popularity?

In fact, these days Americans are reading less than they have in over 30 years. You read that right. The Americans surveyed in Gallup's poll said they read (“either all or part of the way through”) an average of 12.6 books in 2021, down from 15.6 in 2016 and a recent high of 18.5 in 1999.

What age do most US kids learn to read?

When do children usually learn to read? There is no single answer to this question as reading skills can vary greatly from child to child. However, according to the National Reading Panel (NRP), most children start reading at around 6 to 7 years old. While some children learn as early as 4 to 5 years old.

Why is reading becoming less popular?

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 is the US literacy rate so bad?

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.

Which state has the lowest literacy rate?

Bihar is the least literate state in India with a literacy rate of 63.82%.

Can struggling readers catch up?

Reading researchers tell us the ideal window of opportunity for addressing reading difficulties is during kindergarten and first grade. The National Institutes of Health state that 95 percent of poor readers can be brought up to grade level if they receive effective help early.

Do kids who read more do better in school?

'” > Children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better in school than their peers who rarely read. Sullivan and Brown (2013) demonstrate that pleasure reading is linked to increased cognitive progress over time.

Why is my 7 year old not reading?

Children struggle with reading for all sorts of reasons. They may find it hard to sit still and concentrate; they may have got so anxious about reading that it stops them learning; they may have speech and language difficulties or a history of hearing loss.

Which country has the highest literacy rate?

What percent of Americans can't read?

Literacy in the United States was categorized by the National Center for Education Statistics into different literacy levels, with 92% of American adults having at least "Level 1" literacy in 2014. Nationally, over 20% of adult Americans have a literacy proficiency at or below Level 1.

What is the literacy rate in the US 2023?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found 79% of American adults have medium to high English literacy skills—described as literacy levels sufficient to compare and contrast information, paraphrase, and make low-level inferences.

What is Russia's literacy rate?

Literacy Rate in Russia (2010-2021, %)

The literacy rate reached 99.69% in 2021. Between 2010 to 2021, the literacy rate of Russia decreased by 0.02%. On a year-on-year basis, the literacy rate decreased slightly in 2021.

What state has the highest literacy rate?

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.