For the fourth year in a row, Minnesota’s third-grade reading scores have declined. While COVID didn’t create this crisis, it exposed and exacerbated it. States like Minnesota are finally being forced to confront what should have been addressed years ago.
We have known for decades that early literacy is the foundation for everything that comes after. Students who begin each school year reading at the expected level tend to stay on track. Those who fall behind in grades K-3 are less likely to be on track by the end of third grade unless they catch up during the year. For students at risk of not learning to read, the chances of catching up decrease with each grade level, as the graph below shows.
Based on the DIBELS early literacy screener of approximately 250,000 students across 43 states:
- About half (49 percent) of kindergarteners who were far behind in reading caught up by third grade
- Fewer than one-third (29 percent) of first graders did
- Less than one in five (18 percent) of second graders caught up
- Just 5 percent of third graders caught up within the year
“If your child is behind in the early grades, do not assume they will catch up,” writes Chad Aldeman, founder of ReadNotGuess.com, a program to help parents teach their kids to read. “…[T]he odds that they will catch up decline every single year.”
Simply, the earlier a child receives support in reading, the better his or her chances of catching up — waiting makes it much harder.
Do parents know their child is off track?
Many don’t. Nearly nine in 10 parents (88 percent) believe their child is performing at or above grade level in reading, according to a Gallup-Learning Heroes study of public school parents.
Even more concerning, many parents whose children are below grade level still report that they see mostly B’s or better on report cards. “If a parent were to use traditionally good grades as an isolated measure of grade-level performance, some might not realize their child is not at grade level,” continues the Gallup-Learning Heroes study.
This disconnect may prevent parents from recognizing that their child is behind and from raising concerns with their child’s teacher.
What parents can do
A practical first step is to ask for objective data. Parents should request results from literacy screeners their child has completed (such as DIBELS or FastBridge), advises Aldeman. “Ask to see your child’s scores. Be polite, but do not take ‘no’ for an answer.”
If the child is behind, the next step is to ask for a plan to get him or her back on track, continues Aldeman.
Trust your gut here and ask for specifics. Small-group tutoring at school, before or afterschool programs, or things to work on at home are all good signs the teacher is taking the challenge seriously. If instead they just try to reassure you that “some kids just need more time,” and they’re hoping to continue as if everything is fine, don’t give up until they outline a more concrete plan.
Aldeman also warns parents to be on the lookout for how progress is measured. “If the teacher says your child is reading at a ‘level C’ or something other than a grade-level standard, that’s a sign that your school is using a discredited reading program.”
At the end of the day, parents are the first line of defense in a child’s education. And Aldeman’s message to them is clear: You cannot afford to be passive and may have to step in directly with at-home reading instruction. Because when it comes to reading, “Do. Not. Wait.”
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In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature overhauled the state’s approach to literacy instruction through the Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, known as the READ Act, with the goal of having every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten. To help accomplish this goal, it requires teacher preparation programs and districts to use evidence-based reading strategies in their instruction that include teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Statewide literacy screenings are also required to help identify students at risk of falling further behind.
It will take time to see whether these changes lead to improvements, as the law is still being implemented. Success will also depend on buy-in during this implementation phase from those responsible for carrying out the reforms — including teacher preparation programs, professional development leaders, and classroom teachers.
Families whose children can’t afford to fall further behind while these changes are implemented should be empowered to access learning environments that meet their learning needs now. With Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), Minnesota families could use the state dollars allocated for their child’s education to help them access a nonpublic school or homeschool, pay for reading tutoring, or special education services, to name a few.
Gov. Tim Walz should also opt Minnesota into the federal tax-credit scholarship provision that will take effect Jan. 1, 2027. This would benefit eligible students in all learning environments, including public school students who could use the scholarships to pay for reading tutoring and supplemental learning expenses.
Join us on April 14 at 12pm for a Capitol Rally to show state leaders there is broad support for both of these policies.
