The Reading Crisis Facing America’s Classrooms

For decades, literacy rates in the United States remained relatively stable. While nearly all Americans can read and write at a basic level, recent assessments paint a more concerning picture: students’ reading proficiency has declined significantly, particularly in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, only about 31% of fourth-grade students and 30% of eighth-grade students scored at or above the “Proficient” level in reading. Meanwhile, 40% of fourth graders and 33% of eighth graders scored below the Basic level, indicating difficulty with fundamental reading skills.

So what happened?

The answer isn’t a single event or policy. Rather, literacy has been affected by a convergence of educational, technological, and societal changes over the past two decades.

1. The Lasting Effects of the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created one of the largest disruptions...

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