The books she read in school didn鈥檛 interest her and 鈥渃onstant deadlines made it even harder to connect with the stories,鈥� she said. Reading was a chore, something to rush through for a test or school assignment. 

So when Wallace became a mother in 2019, she didn鈥檛 read to her son at home often 鈥� about once or twice a week, 鈥渕aybe not even that,鈥� said Wallace, who lives with her family in Frankfort, Kentucky.

That changed around the time her son was 3 and she was working at a local adult education center where she helped develop a family literacy program. There, she learned about on how reading to young children daily can improve school readiness, develop language and listening skills and promote social-emotional growth.

Now her family reads 鈥渢hree or four books every single night,鈥� she said. 

The payoff has been clear: her son, Levi, has an impressive vocabulary for a soon-to-be 6 year old, can speak in complete sentences and most importantly 鈥渉is confidence is boosting tremendously.鈥�

鈥淗is life is going to be so much easier because he loves to read,鈥� Wallace said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want him to grow up hating to read [like I did]. … I always struggled with comprehension and remembering what I read, and so it’s challenging when you don’t love doing it.鈥�

Wallace鈥檚 initial resistance toward reading may be the new norm among parents. Earlier this year, HarperCollins UK showing a steep decline in the number of caregivers who read to their young children.

For many new parents, a dislike of reading stems from their own classroom experiences in the early 2000s that emphasized reading as a skill for testing. Many also are unfamiliar with the importance of reading to young children or may instead undervalue reading because of a dependence on online educational programs that have limited benefits for learning. 

For children not getting the benefits of being read to at home, the opportunity gap has widened, with those young students entering school unprepared compared to those who have been read to.

鈥淭he gap really begins very, very early on. I think we underestimate how large a gap we’re already seeing in kindergarten,鈥� said Susan Neuman, professor of childhood and literacy education at New York University, adding she recently visited a New York City kindergarten classroom and saw some children who only knew two letters compared to others who were prepared to read phrases. 

A found a 5-year-old child who is read to daily would be exposed to nearly 300,000 more words than one who isn鈥檛 read to regularly.

The 2025 HarperCollins survey found less than half, around 41%, of children between the age of zero to four were read to every day or nearly every day; a decline of nine percentage points from 2019 and 15 percentage points in 2012. 

The survey found that about a third of parents read to their babies and toddlers weekly. Around 20% of parents said they 鈥渞arely鈥� or 鈥渘ever鈥� read to their child between the ages of zero and two and 8% of parents said they 鈥渞arely鈥� or 鈥渘ever鈥� read to their child between the ages of three and four.

It鈥檚 something that doesn鈥檛 surprise early literacy experts in the United States who suspect similar trends across the country, believing the decline in early literacy reading is likely even higher than reported.

鈥淔rankly, parents 鈥� will often lie because they know it’s important to read, so they’ll exaggerate the amount of time they’re reading,鈥� Neuman said. 鈥淚 think the bottom line is reading is declining big time, not just for parents reading to children, but for all segments of our society.鈥�

But, some of the youngest parents, those born between 1997 and 2012 鈥� also known as Gen-Z 鈥� are more likely than past generations to view reading as a school or work activity rather than fun or beneficial, according to the HarperCollins survey and early literacy experts. 

For many young adults, their experience in the classroom, especially during the peak of the No Child Left Behind Act, which mandated annual standardized testing in the early 2000s, took the pleasure out of reading and instead instilled a shift toward 鈥渟kill and drill,鈥� practices, said Theresa Bouley, an education professor at Eastern Connecticut State University.

鈥淲e went from fourth grade and sixth grade testing to every year 鈥� third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth,鈥� Bouley said. 鈥淎t that time we started using less books, more programs, more skill and drill and the purpose of reading only became learning different aspects of reading, like phonics or things like that, and not actually for purpose or pleasure or even having time to apply the skills they’re learning to actually read.鈥�

An entire population of students may have lost the value of reading, and combined with being the first generation of digital natives, the United States鈥� youngest adults are among those who are now seeing some of the largest declines in literacy skills. 

And it鈥檚 likely they鈥檙e passing their habits down to their children, which can have crucial repercussions on the youngest emerging students鈥� skills.

鈥淐hildren are not seeing their caregivers actually reading books and that sends a really strong message. 鈥� As a three year old boy, [they] want to do what dad’s doing,鈥� Bouley said. 鈥淚 think it’s equally important 鈥� [for a] child’s understanding of the purpose and joy of reading to see their parent reading.鈥�

In Wallace鈥檚 case, she was able to make up for some lost time.

For other families, however, there isn鈥檛 a lot of opportunity to close the gap once a child enters school.

鈥淭here’s an assumption nowadays that when kids get to kindergarten, they need to know their letters and their numbers and this is highly predictive of whether or not they’ll be successful at the end of kindergarten and at the end of third grade,鈥� Neuman said. 鈥淭eachers have a very short time to work on these kinds of things, and when children are that far behind, 鈥� I don’t see realistically that a teacher will be able to give the intensive support that children will need in order to catch up.鈥�

Why does reading to our youngest children matter?

Early literacy researchers believe there鈥檚 a common misconception that reading to a child when they鈥檙e babies or young toddlers is useless because the child doesn鈥檛 understand what鈥檚 going on.

The activity however, 鈥渋s a lot more than just reading and reading books,鈥� Bouley said.

Reading aloud creates a foundation for literacy, she said.

Studies have shown it helps children develop communication and fine motor skills and also promote oral language skills, which are a strong predictor in future success in school. 

Books also open up a world of vocabulary that isn鈥檛 used in day-to-day language when parents speak to their children, Rebecca Parlakian, senior programs director at , an early childhood nonprofit, said.

鈥淪hared reading does predict child vocabulary prior to school entry, and vocabulary predicts later emerging literacy skills. We also find that the quantity or frequency of parent-child book reading predicted children’s receptive vocabulary, which is the words they understand, their reading comprehension skills and their desire to read,鈥� said Parlakian.

A study found that reading aloud to a child at eight months old was linked to language skills at 12 and 16 months, 鈥渟o even infants being exposed to ongoing rich language made a difference,鈥� Parlakian added.

And while “language and vocabulary are the primary benefits,鈥� books also support 鈥渟ocial-emotional skills because children are being exposed to the feelings and motivations of characters other than themselves,鈥� Parlakian said. 

鈥楽kill and drill鈥� 

Reading aloud is also beneficial for children to develop a positive association with the activity.

鈥淭here’s a lot of warm fuzziness and social emotional development that goes on. So now in kindergarten, if the teacher whips out a book, I remember my dad read me that book,鈥� Bouley said.

Having a positive association with books, without the pressure of assessments or skill tests, allows young children to understand the value and fun of reading. 

鈥淚t builds connections,鈥� said Carol Anne St. George, a literacy professor at the University of Rochester. 鈥淧eople talk about text to text, text to world 鈥� and those are the kinds of things that help children cognitively think and classify their world around them.鈥�

But, it鈥檚 becoming a lost art.

Instead, reading in schools has become performance-based activity or test preparation.

鈥淲hether it’s parents at home and also teachers in schools, we’re seeing so few books, and so few opportunities for children to read 鈥� really read,鈥� Bouley said.

There鈥檚 a pressure in the United States to 鈥減ress reading very very early,鈥� Neuman added. 

鈥淚f we look globally at other cultures where children are more successful, , 鈥� they don’t start formally reading with children with the expectation they should read by third grade. They recognize that play is really important in these early years, that talk and oral language is extremely important, and they focus on other things,鈥� Neuman said. 鈥淏ut, we’re in a race.鈥�

That 鈥渞ace鈥� has contributed to changes in curriculum and a pullback on activities like read alouds in the classroom, which Bouley, Neuman and St. George said they鈥檝e all seen. 

鈥淚 don’t see that time really devoted and yet that’s so critical,鈥� Neuman said. 鈥淭he language that they’re getting through that storybook and experience is really imperative. I don’t see it as much. I see a lot of skill and drill.鈥�

Among some researchers, there鈥檚 a belief the shift happened around 2002 as the United States shifted toward an annual testing model. 

鈥淲e became inundated with assessments and preparation,鈥� Bouley said. 鈥淪o first graders, second graders, they’re constantly getting these assessments that definitely take the purpose away from reading for enjoyment to reading as skill.鈥�

Timed reading fluency assessments, for example, 鈥渏ust shows kids that you can鈥檛 go back and read accurately,鈥� and 鈥渁ll that matters is how many words you can read in one minute,鈥� Bouley added. 

鈥淪o children get these messages about all that matters with reading and none of it has to do with comprehending a book and enjoying a book,鈥� Bouley said. 鈥淚t got much worse, or even started after No Child Left Behind, and then it’s just become worse and worse.鈥�

Many of those former students are now parents, like Wallace, who may struggle with passing on literacy skills because of their own experiences in the classroom. 

From one technology-raised generation to the next 

Reading for pleasure in the United States has between 2003 and 2023, according to a 2025 study from the University of Florida and University College London.

The same study said it鈥檚 unclear whether levels of reading with children has changed over time, but it did find only 2% of its participants read with children 鈥渙n the average day,鈥� despite 21% of the study鈥檚 sample having a child under nine years old.

Declining literacy levels also go hand-in-hand with the rise of the internet and accessibility to portable devices. 

鈥淭his is a generation where we really begin to see a drop in reading for pleasure because they were part of that initial wave and flood of digital media that was totally unregulated. We had no research on the impact,鈥� said Parlakian. 

Those patterns from the first generation of digital natives are now being mirrored to another generation of children.

A from the PNC foundation reported about 35% of parents said some of the biggest challenges in reading to children is that the child prefers screen-time or won鈥檛 sit long enough. 

鈥淲hen we introduce screen time very young, and we don’t manage the amount of time children are spending on screens, 鈥� it can be difficult for children to transition from such an exciting medium to a medium like a book that may initially feel not as exciting,鈥� Parlakian said.

While some parents may argue their young children may not have to read as much with physical books because they鈥檙e instead benefiting from educational programs on tablets or phones, early literacy experts said there鈥檚 a difference between the two activities, both social-emotionally and academically.

A lack of reading time with a parent possibly means losing bonding time. With a tablet, a parent can hand it off and walk away, Bouley said, but when it comes to reading a book, it demands a parent’s full presence.

Skills wise, until around the ages of 5 and 6, children have a 鈥渞eally hard time and are incredibly inefficient at transferring learning that happens on a screen to real life,鈥� and vice versa, Parlakian said.

Reading also requires stamina 鈥� and educational programs on tablets or other devices, instead offer instant gratification, Neuman added. 

鈥淎 good storybook often takes a bit of time to develop. 鈥� There’s literary language that children are learning, 鈥� and games are very colloquial, they’re very short term and they’re bits of information that don’t connect,鈥� she said. 鈥淐hildren aren’t developing comprehension, 鈥� even when they begin to learn the print, what we’re seeing is they don’t know the meaning of the print, and that’s a big problem.鈥�

Adopting early reading practices for the Wallace family means comprehension hasn鈥檛 been a problem for 5 year old Levi who points out the words he knows in his children鈥檚 Bible, or in his other favorites like Little Blue Truck or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

鈥淗e can read almost a whole page by himself. He gets really excited and he has to go around and show his dad or we鈥檝e got to FaceTime and show his mamaw,鈥� Wallace said. 鈥淗e wants everybody to see he knows how to read.鈥�

Alaska鈥檚 Department of Education and Early Development released statewide assessment data on Friday that shows most students are not proficient in core subjects.

The scores are similar to overall, even though the state in January. Education Commissioner Deena Bishop said then that Alaska鈥檚 standards are still in the top third in the nation.

The Alaska System of Academic Readiness test, commonly referred to as the AK STAR assessment, evaluates student knowledge of grade-level standards in English language arts and mathematics for third through ninth graders and grade-level standards for science in fifth, eighth and 10th grades.

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Student scores fall into four levels of achievement: advanced, proficient, approaching proficient, and needs support.

Across grade levels, roughly 32% of Alaska students were proficient or advanced in both English language arts and mathematics. Nearly 37% of students across grade levels tested were proficient or better in science.

Bishop appealed to Alaskans to use the results for continuous improvement in a statement released on Friday.

鈥淪tate assessments play a role in measuring how well our students meet the Alaska standards 鈥� standards shaped by Alaskan educators. By accepting the results without defense, we commit to using these data for improvement,鈥� she said in a news release. 鈥淎laska is not merely focused on the outcomes themselves, rather our goal is to build the capacity in our students鈥� foundational knowledge and ability for their future in work and life.鈥�

Pre-pandemic comparisons to measure if students鈥� scores are improving after school closures are difficult because the state changed its assessment. Scores were in the 2018-2019 academic year, however. Then, 39% of students were proficient in or advanced scorers in English language arts and nearly 36% of students were proficient or better in math.

Fifth graders performed best on the 2024 tests. More than 37% met or exceeded state proficiency standards, which was a nearly 2% increase over the previous year. Nearly half of fifth graders, more than 47%, were proficient or better in science standards.

Eighth, ninth and tenth graders had lower levels of proficiency. The state said 鈥渆fforts are underway鈥� to support students in reading and offer career and technical education options.

Officials with the state Department of Education and Early Childhood did not respond to questions about how to understand this year鈥檚 scores in the contact of previous years and pandemic recovery.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com. Follow Alaska Beacon on and .

A proposed literacy policy in Maryland could have third-grade students held back for a year if they don鈥檛 achieve certain reading scores on state tests, or 鈥渄emonstrate sufficient reading skills for promotion to grade 4.鈥�

Maryland would join more than half of states that allow third-grade students to be held back if the policy is adopted. The Maryland Department of Education is accepting public comments on the plan until July 19.

It comes as the state Board of Education and the Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future Accountability and Implementation board recently voted on to boost student achievement for the state, which ranks 40th in the nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known at the Nation鈥檚 Report Card. The goal is to put Maryland in the top 10 by 2027.

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鈥淚t has been noted in several research studies that literacy is considered one of the key and pivotal priorities in education if we expect our communities, our states to prosper,鈥� Tenette Smith, executive director of literacy programs and initiatives in the state Department of Education, said Tuesday. 鈥淲e have to make sure that we are addressing kiddos鈥� needs, as well as their access to high-quality education. It becomes an equity issue.鈥�

The proposed would implement a reading intervention program for students in kindergarten through third grade who are identified with a reading deficiency or 鈥渘eed for supplemental instruction in reading.鈥�

Students in those grades would be screened about three times, which includes for dyslexia, throughout the school year. They can also receive before- or after-school tutoring by a person with 鈥渟pecialized training grounded in the science of reading,鈥� which focuses on teaching students based on phonics, comprehension and vocabulary.

The policy will also call for professional development for staff, which for free as part of the science of reading program.

A parent or guardian would receive written notification if their child exhibits any reading challenges during the school year. Students who are kept back in the third grade would receive more dedicated time 鈥渢han the previous school year in scientifically research-based reading instruction and intervention,鈥� daily small group instruction and frequent monitoring of the student鈥檚 reading skills throughout the school year.

The proposal includes a 鈥済ood cause exemption鈥� that would let students advance to the fourth grade if they are diagnosed with a disability described in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). It would also apply to students with a Section 504 plan who are diagnosed with a disability and need 鈥渞easonable accommodation鈥� to participate in school and school-related activities.

A good-cause exception could also be made for students who fewer received less than two years of instruction in an English-language development program.

Any student who received such an exception would continue to receive intensive reading intervention and other services.

No student could be retained twice in third grade, according to the policy.

Smith said the policy is similar to one drafted in Mississippa, where she worked with current Maryland State Superintendent Carey Wright. But a few main differences that focus on Maryland include the and state regulations to support students with reading difficulties.

鈥楬ave to be creative鈥�

According to a January from the Education Commission of the States, about 26 states and Washington, D.C., implemented policies that require retention for third-grade students who are not reading proficiently, or allow those decisions at the local level. That report came out two months before Indiana joined the list, when the legislature in March approved a to retain third grade students who don鈥檛 pass a statewide assessment test or meet a 鈥済ood cause鈥� exemption, similar to the proposed Maryland policy.

A 2013 report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation noted that students who don鈥檛 read proficiently by the end of the third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma. The gap could increase if a student comes from a low-income family, is Black or Latino, the report said.

Smith said there鈥檚 鈥渁 slight shift鈥� in expectations when students enter fourth grade, and begin assessing multisyllabic words and doing more independent reading.

鈥淲hen you are making that shift, you are providing more academic language and asking children to access or bear a heavier cognitive load. Kiddos are asked to do more word work,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎s they progress from one grade to the other, third grade becomes that key grade level, that sort of gateway to being a fluent reader with the ability to analyze the text they are reading.鈥�

Maryland State Education Association President Cheryl Bost, who at the end of the month, said the state needs to assess who would provide the tutoring during the school day and before or after school.

鈥淲e are still in a [teacher] shortage. How we can retain staff and bring staff is going to be key to all of this,鈥� she said Monday.

She also said reading intervention during the school day is 鈥渕ore desirable鈥� than making tutoring before or after school the only option.

鈥淲hen we do that though, we can鈥檛 pull kids out of the arts,鈥� Bost said. 鈥淲e have to be creative in scheduling because those other subject areas are important. Some kids really shine in those areas.鈥� They have to learn reading in other context not just in what might be called a reading class.鈥�

The policy is scheduled to be discussed by the state Board of Education on July 23. For those interested in taking the survey can go , or send an email to literacy.msde@maryland.gov by July 19.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org. Follow Maryland Matters on and .

In his final go, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb wants to double down on K-12 literacy initiatives and bolster workforce training but won鈥檛 seek specific policy related to growing concerns around .

His reading plan could result in holding thousands more third-graders back a year in school.

The Republican governor on Monday unveiled his 2024 agenda, the last in his eight-year term. His policy goals additionally emphasize a need for expanded pre-K and childcare voucher eligibility, as well as increased access to disaster relief at the local level.

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Specifically, Holcomb鈥檚 agenda targets earlier access to IREAD-3 testing and ensuring Hoosier students are mastering foundational literacy skills. The latest reading scores showed that .

Currently, the IREAD-3 exam is only required in third grade. The governor鈥檚 administration is hoping to require testing in second grade, too. Doing so could help teachers and parents better identify struggling students and implement additional supports 鈥� such as through summer school or after-school tutoring 鈥� before kids get too far behind.

Students who fail the standardized exam can already be held back, but there are exceptions if a child is disabled or an English-language learner.

State officials 鈥� including Holcomb 鈥� maintain that too many Indiana third graders who can鈥檛 adequately read are advancing to the fourth grade. His agenda seeks to tighten up the state鈥檚 retention policy to require third grade students who fail IREAD-3 to be held back for at least one year, starting in 2025.

None of Holcomb鈥檚 priorities would require lawmakers to reopen the biennial state budget during the short legislative session, however.

鈥淯ltimately, this (agenda) will be very interactive 鈥� looking through a lens of our customers, citizens and local leaders 鈥� how they may access all the programs that the legislature, year after year after year, appropriates dollars to. These are programs that really do make a difference,鈥� he said during an agenda announcement at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually impaired in Indianapolis. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a local government or philanthropic organizations or local leaders, some don鈥檛 know about some of the programs. And so, how can we better connect chambers, local leaders, etcetera, in a very easy way?鈥�

Indiana鈥檚 General Assembly reconvened Monday for the start of the 2024 session.

Legislative leaders they鈥檙e not taking on new and controversial subjects, promising a 鈥渜uieter鈥� non-budget session.

While Holcomb鈥檚 agenda is closely aligned with goals expressed last month by Republican legislative leaders, his policy recommendations leave out issues like Medicaid reimbursement rates, gambling, and regulation of large water transfers.

Improving literacy

An 鈥� with the force of law 鈥� dictates Indiana鈥檚 existing third grade retention policy.

According to data from the Indiana Department of Education, in 2023, 13,840 third-graders did not pass I-READ-3. Of those, 5,503 received an exemption and 8,337 did not. Of those without an exemption, 95% moved onto 3rd grade while only 412 were retained.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said Monday that adding a legislative piece will make clear what retention means, and include 鈥渢he proactive approaches鈥� schools should implement in kindergarten, first and second grades.

鈥淭his will just really add clarity for the state and also help us stay laser focused on the fact that we have to have students reading by the end of third grade,鈥� Jenner continued, although she said the state board of education could make changes on its own, if it had to. 鈥淏ut I think there is a significant appetite with both the House and the Senate to look at potential legislation options.鈥�

Holcomb鈥檚 goal is that 95% of students in third grade can read proficiently by 2027. State officials said they can still meet that mark 鈥� but only if immediate changes and early-warning systems are put in place.

A pilot program spearheaded by the state education department has already helped hundreds of Indiana schools administer IREAD-3 to second graders as a way to help parents and teachers determine if reading interventions are needed for younger students before they take the exam.

The 2022-23 school year was the second year schools could opt-in. The test 鈥� likely to rebranded as 鈥淚READ鈥� 鈥� was taken by almost 46,000 second graders. That鈥檚 up from about 20,000 second graders who tested the year before.

鈥淚t is a very, very popular option for schools because it provides whether the child can read, whether they鈥檙e on track, or whether they鈥檙e potentially at risk, and it provides that data at a younger age,鈥� Jenner said. 鈥淭hat then can be used by the parent and the teacher to best support that child鈥檚 learning in the future.鈥�

State officials noted that many students are expected to receive additional reading help during the summer.

Funding for summer school 鈥� equal to about $18.4 million per year under the current state budget 鈥� is mostly going toward students taking physical education and health courses in the summer, Jenner said.

鈥淲hat an opportunity we have to better leverage that funding on the students who are not able to read or may not have numeracy skills,鈥� she emphasized, adding that, for now, policymakers want to 鈥渇ocus on the current budget line that we have,鈥� rather than appropriating new funds.

Although Jenner, Holcomb and Republican state legislative leaders have said that high rates of absenteeism are likely contributing to , policy to address student attendance and chronic absenteeism is not included in Holcomb鈥檚 agenda.

that about 40% of students statewide missed 10 or more school days last year, and nearly one in five were 鈥渃hronically absent鈥� for at least 18 days.

Even so, Holcomb said Monday that he will 鈥減articipate in the discussion that the legislators might have鈥� about attendance.

鈥淚 plead with parents to not underestimate the impact that your child not being in school has on them adversely, long-term. 鈥� We鈥檙e past COVID now, and so parents need to understand the adverse impact of keeping their child out of school,鈥� the governor said. 鈥淭here just is a correlation. I don鈥檛 think it takes a rocket scientist to realize that the less time you鈥檙e (in school), the less you鈥檙e going to learn.鈥�

鈥淲e want to make sure that in this discussion of chronic absenteeism, that what we鈥檙e doing is going to make a difference,鈥� Holcomb continued. 鈥淎nd I will continue to use my platform to plead with parents, begging them to make sure if their child can be in school, they need to be.鈥�

The governor鈥檚 priorities also call for a mandatory computer science course to be completed by students before graduating high school. He additionally wants to task Indiana鈥檚 public colleges and universities with offering more three-year bachelor鈥檚 degrees, and make it easier for students to earn two-year associate degrees at the state鈥檚 four-year institutions.

Expanding child care

A multi-part plan to expand early childhood education and child care options is also high on Holcomb鈥檚 agenda.

The governor鈥檚 plan aims to increase the number of child care and early education providers across Indiana by adding credentialing training to state-sponsored grant programs and making more employees of child care entities eligible for On My Way Pre-K and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers.

Holcomb鈥檚 administration further wants to reduce the minimum age of caregivers; from 21 to 18 for infant and toddler caregivers, and from 18 to 16 for supervised caregivers in school-aged classrooms.

鈥淲e know that to accommodate more kiddos in early learning environments, we need to have more workers there,鈥� Holcomb said. 鈥淒ropping age limits down 鈥� that doesn鈥檛 mean dropping standards down. We think with the proper training and standards in place and oversight 鈥� you should qualify and be eligible to work there.鈥�

Accessing disaster relief

Holcomb said Monday he will also work with legislators to help Hoosiers gain easier access to funds in the wake of both man-made and natural disasters.

Broadly, that means increasing the amount of relief dollars individual counties can receive, in addition to making it easier for individual Hoosiers to access aid.

The governor鈥檚 plan includes a proposal to allow some dollars from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to help local units implement hazard mitigation plans that assist in protecting against future damages. Mitigation could come in the form of newly-built tornado shelters or participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, for example.

Counties with such plans in place could also qualify for increased reimbursement after a disaster.

Holcomb鈥檚 administration is also seeking to bump the maximum potential award for individual assistance from $10,000 to $25,000. Those funds can help Hoosiers with post-disaster damages and debris removal, among other needs.

Holcomb said he鈥檚 confident the state can afford to increase available aid, noting that Indiana鈥檚 disaster relief fund is financed by firework sales.

There would still be caps on how much could be dispersed, however, which officials said helps ensure the state fund isn鈥檛 depleted.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com. Follow Indiana Capital Chronicle on and .

Developing literacy is an important step for students and it is one most associate with lower grades.

But at the State Board of Education鈥檚 Nov. 1 work session, literacy experts discussed the importance of continuing to focus on promoting reading proficiency for older students, like middle schoolers.

North Carolina reformed its reading instruction for young students in 2021 with the .

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The law works to use the Read to Achieve program, which helps ensure that students reach reading proficiency with the ability to comprehend and apply complex texts by the end of third grade with the goal of secondary education and career success.

鈥淲e know that does not end at third grade,鈥� said Donna Bledsoe, principal of  in Surry County and 2023 Principal of the Year.

During the meeting, officials discussed how students shift from 鈥渓earning to read鈥� to 鈥渞eading to learn鈥� by fourth grade. But by middle school, it remains important to identify and fill in any gaps left behind.

鈥淎 lot of kids do compensate for whatever kind of ineffective reading instruction that they have had in elementary school,鈥� state Superintendent Catherine Truitt said. 鈥淪o not all kids are coming to school unable to read, but their proficiency is not such that they can keep up with the volume of reading they need to do in middle and high school and the complexity of the texts.鈥�

In 2022, performed at or above the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) proficient level, according to Tammy Howard, senior director of the Office of Accountability and Testing Division of Standards, Accountability, and Research. This was a drop from 36% in 2019, Howard said, but this isn’t significantly different.

Howard also discussed End-Of-Grade test results, which measure the percentage of students at or above proficiency (scored at level three on the tests) in reading in grades three through five.

The number of students testing at or above level three is showing improvement compared to pandemic-era declines, she said. .

Truitt said the data show most students do not have the ideal reading proficiency and the middle grades need educators with literacy training.

鈥淲e cannot stop at third grade,鈥� said Board member Jill Camnitz.

Literacy efforts in schools

Ever since the EPSA was passed, teachers across North Carolina have been undergoing training to learn how to incorporate the science of reading into their instruction through LETRS.

, an organization that focuses on promoting and improving literacy, provides (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), which is a suite based on the science of reading that helps educators improve students鈥� literacy and reading skills.

The 2022-23 school year is the first year implementation of the science of reading began in classrooms, through the LETRS program. Deputy State Superintendent Michael Maher previously said it is likely that the state will fully know results from these efforts when students now in kindergarten reach third grade.

As of August, 29 North Carolina school districts have completed the LETRS professional learning, with remaining districts expected to complete training by summer 2024.

Representatives from Bertie County Schools discussed their journey with LETRS and the success the school has had with the program.

The district has focused on promoting explicit multi-sensory instruction in reading lessons while making writing a focus, said Linda Bulluck, the district鈥檚 executive director of curriculum and instruction.

Bulluck said schools in Bertie County have benefited from instructional coaches and interventionists, with some teachers and principals having attended the North Carolina Instructional Leadership Academy.

Schools are also promoting conversations between elementary and middle school teachers about strategies to help students, while working on literacy interventions for middle school and even high school, Bulluck said.

was also awarded the True Trailblazer Award during the meeting for its work in promoting the science of reading.

While LETRS primarily focuses on learning for younger students in third grade and below, Lexia also offers , a similar program for fourth through eighth grade that provides professional development for educators.

Lexia representative Brandie Turner said Aspire is more flexible and personalized and takes less time. The course takes about 40 hours to complete and is all done asynchronously.

The Board did not discuss adopting the program during their meeting.

Bledsoe also presented at the meeting to discuss how her district approaches literacy instruction after third grade.

use , a set of one-minute fluency measures to assess a student’s abilities.

While Dibels 8 is used in North Carolina from kindergarten to third grade, Bledsoe said it can also benefit fourth and fifth graders. Educators can use the program to tailor education to students鈥� needs and support students as they continue to develop literacy skills, she said.

Truitt said she would like to see EPSA amended to require Dibels 8 for fourth and fifth graders to continue to individualize and personalize instruction for teachers in upper elementary levels.

This first appeared on and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.