America’s Reading Recession

The learning recession has been heating up over the past decade—yes, even previous to the pandemic! According to EducationScorecard.com the learning recession started as early as 2013 where math and reading scores were showing signs of declining.

Over the last year, reading scores were down 83% and math scores down 70%. It’s difficult to tell what exactly is contributing to this decline, but it is likely a combination of factors including absenteeism and increased screen time. The report urges policymakers to dedicate funding to identify what specific Science of Reading programs and approaches are working, encourage more research on the affects of screen time on student learning, and promote collaboration among the top performing districts and those still struggling.

Check-out how your child’s specific district here!

If you feel your child is struggling to read, let’s work together to get them on the right path! Let’s connect with a free 15 minute consultation call. Email christa@focusspeechtherapy.com to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why should I work with a speech-language pathologist to improve my child’s reading?

  • Speech-language pathologists (SLP) are incredibly knowledgable when it comes to improving children’s literacy. We understand the foundational elements needed to improve reading like phonemic awareness, phonology, and print awareness. SLPs are also required to take 30, yes 30, hours of continuing education courses every three years. At Focus Speech Therapy, Christa has consistently taken beyond this requirement and has been awarded two ACE awards for this commitment!

• My child is struggling to read, how can I help them?

  • One of the easiest things to do is to continue to provide access to books at home and model reading (yes, plan a screen free family time and read!). For younger kids, read a book together—I recommend interactive books that have flaps, pop-ups, and movable board books. For older kids, turn your family reading time into a fun challenge. How many pages can you read in 20 minutes? Whose book had the best written sentence? Write down what you think will happen next in your book, and see if the prediction comes true!

• I think my child needs extra reading help, who should I contact?

  • Focus Speech Therapy is happy to help! We help preschool children get kindergarten ready and help older children read fluently, and work on reading comprehension, and improve writing.