The children who were most affected by the pandemic were those who were just beginning to learn basic skills such as writing their names and tying their shoes when schools abruptly closed in the spring of 2020.
Now, these same children have progressed to become the older students in elementary schools across the United States. However, many of them still require significant assistance in overcoming the lingering effects of the pandemic.
In order to help these students catch up, schools have implemented a wide range of strategies. Some incoming fourth-graders are showing promising signs of improvement, which is encouraging.
However, as this generation continues to advance through their education, a considerable number of them will require additional reading support.
This poses a challenge for schools, as they are not as accustomed to providing such support for older students.
According to Elizabeth Albro, an executive at the U.S. Department of Education’s independent research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences, there is a concerning trend in the education system.
As students progress beyond the third grade, there seems to be a decline in the number of teachers who possess the necessary expertise to effectively assist students who are struggling with fundamental reading skills.
This alarming observation raises questions about the overall preparedness of educators in addressing the needs of students as they advance in their academic journey.
It is crucial to recognize the significance of these foundational skills, as they form the basis for future learning and academic success.
The lack of support and guidance in this crucial area may hinder students’ progress and potentially contribute to the widening achievement gap.
Therefore, it is imperative for educational institutions and policymakers to prioritize the development and implementation of effective strategies to equip teachers with the knowledge and tools necessary to address these challenges.
By doing so, we can ensure that every student receives the support they need to thrive academically and reach their full potential.
According to Albro, the expectations placed on middle and high school teachers have dramatically changed, as they are now faced with the unexpected task of teaching students how to read.
The impact of the pandemic on students’ learning nationwide has been profound, particularly in the areas of reading and math.
Third-grade students, who were in kindergarten when the pandemic began, experienced greater setbacks in reading compared to older students and have been slower to recover.
In response, school systems have utilized federal pandemic relief funds to increase class time, employ tutors, provide phonics instruction training for teachers, and implement various other strategies to offer additional support to struggling readers.
However, despite these efforts, an analysis conducted by NWEA on last year’s test scores revealed that the average student would require an additional 4.1 months of instruction to reach pre-COVID reading levels.
One positive finding was that incoming fourth-graders demonstrated above-average progress and would only need approximately two months of extra reading instruction to catch up. Karyn Lewis, who leads a team of education policy researchers at NWEA, described this group as being “a little bit less worse off.”
The school system in Niagara Falls, New York, is facing similar challenges, according to Marcia Capone, the district’s assessment administrator.
In an effort to address the issue, the district has hired additional reading specialists, but Capone acknowledges that it will take time to bring struggling students up to the required level.
She remains optimistic, stating that she does not believe the situation is hopeless, but cautions that significant progress cannot be expected within a short span of three years.
The consequences of not mastering reading by the third grade are far-reaching, as it becomes increasingly difficult for students to keep up with the demands of later grades, as reading serves as the foundation for all other subjects.
This is not a new problem for schools, as even before the pandemic, only about a third of fourth graders were proficient in reading, as revealed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as the “nation’s report card.” However, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation, particularly for low-income students and children of color.
In recent times, an increasing number of schools have been focusing their efforts on upper-grade students by implementing the “science of reading,” a movement aimed at adopting research-supported reading strategies centered around phonics.
According to a comprehensive report released by the nonpartisan Albert Shanker Institute in July, numerous new laws have been enacted to endorse the phonics-based approach, specifically targeting students beyond the third grade.
A prime example of this is Virginia, where a law was signed in March, mandating additional assistance for struggling readers up until the eighth grade. This initiative stands out as one of the most assertive endeavors thus far.
The authors of the Shanker report astutely observed an implicit recognition that reading improvement should encompass a broader range of grades, acknowledging that reading difficulties do not necessarily cease after the third grade.
Consequently, a significant shift in educational practices will be required to address this issue effectively. Historically, phonics and word decoding support have gradually diminished in importance as students progress through the upper grades.
It is worth noting that most English teachers at this level are no more equipped to teach a student how to read than a math teacher would be. Miah Daughtery, a staunch advocate for effective literacy instruction working with the NWEA research organization, emphasizes the pressing need for comprehensive teacher training in this domain.
By providing educators with the necessary tools and knowledge, schools can ensure that students receive the highest quality of literacy instruction, regardless of their grade level.
In light of the current educational landscape, there is an increasing recognition of the challenges faced by teachers in delivering comprehensive instruction to their students.
While educators have traditionally been equipped to teach text and literature, analyzing ideas, craft, and story structure, the recent depletion of federal pandemic relief funds has cast a shadow of doubt over the effectiveness of academic recovery efforts.
According to Dan Goldhaber, a prominent figure at the American Institutes for Research, the likelihood of a swift rebound seems increasingly remote.
This sentiment is echoed by Tonya Perry, the vice president of the National Council of Teachers of English, who highlights that teachers are grappling with the constraint of time in covering the required material.
Consequently, some school systems are resorting to programs that break down grade-level subject matter into various reading levels, allowing both strong and weak readers to grasp the fundamental concepts.
Perry emphasizes the need to invest more time in building a solid foundation for students, ensuring they are adequately prepared for the tasks ahead.
During the initial stages of the pandemic, a temporary solution was implemented in the form of grade repetition for some students.
This measure, however, was often reluctantly taken due to concerns regarding the potential negative impact on children’s social lives and academic prospects.
As time progressed, the numbers of students held back a grade began to decrease once again. To address this issue, one approach that teachers can adopt is to reduce their reliance on silent reading during class and instead promote small group activities that allow both strong and weak readers to be paired together, as suggested by Daughtery.
Lewis, from the NWEA, emphasizes that it is crucial not to view the children affected by the pandemic as beyond help. Rather, the key takeaway should be that while the right strategies are being implemented, they simply need to be intensified and maintained without any decrease in effort.