Literacy in the United States READ399 Lecture 1 Is there a literacy crisis The perceived literacy crisis in the U S is a function of two factors Reading achievement has increased only slightly over several decades while the demand for higher literacy levels in the U S workplace has greatly increased Schools are not successfully leveling the playing field Poverty and literacy levels remain closely linked Certain demographic groups begin school well behind in language and literacy the gaps tend to widen over time Schools not providing the consistent quality of support and instruction necessary to help ALL children achieve high levels of literacy U S students are falling behind other countries in international comparisons Reading Trends in U S The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress NAEP shows that among 9 and 13year olds reading levels have improved slightly since 1992 At Grade 4 67 of students scored at or above the Basic level in reading At Grade 8 it was 76 U S students do well with basic skills but not with higher order critical thinking only 34 are at the Proficient level in reading in 4th and 8th grade See NAEP chart International Programme of Student Assessment of Reading 2009 15 16 yr olds 1 Shanghai 556 2 South Korea 539 3 Finland 536 4 Hong Kong 533 5 Singapore 526 6 Canada 524 7 New Zealand 521 8 Japan 520 9 Australia 515 10 Netherlands 508 11 Belgium 506 12 Norway 503 13 Estonia 501 14 Switzerland 501 15 Poland Iceland U S 500 Demographics of Reading Difficulties in U S Children from certain demographic groups experience disproportionate academic underachievement primarily due to reading difficulties Low SES children children who attend high poverty schools African American and Hispanic children Children from non English speaking backgrounds Children whose parents have low literacy levels Children with biological or psychologically based disabilities that impact reading Note A child s membership in a particular demographic group in and of itself tells us nothing about a child s actual literacy ability or potential or home literacy experiences The Challenge of Learning to Read 5 of children can already read when they begin school in K 20 35 find learning to read relatively easy 60 find learning to reading challenging 19 find learning to read very difficult Reading difficulties are found disproportionately among low SES children but 16 of 8th grade students reading below a basic reading level are children of collegeeducated parents How can we help Research suggests most reading difficulties can be overcome or prevented through Rich and engaging reading related experiences at home Proper instruction in kindergarten and first grade Family Literacy Practices that Support Literacy Success 1 Value placed on literacy parents read themselves and encourage children to read 2 Press for achievement Parents express expectations and support children s literacy interests 3 Availability and use of reading materials 4 Reading with children parents read to children listen to their oral reading and provide assistance as needed Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards CCSS for English Language Arts ELA are one important reform aimed at improving literacy achievement of U S students Are more rigorous than previous state standards Are internationally benchmarked to match expectations in the highest achieving countries Focus on College and Career Readiness at the end of 12th grade guide teachers and children gradually towards this goal starting in kindergarten Have been adopted by New Jersey and 45 other states Do not dictate HOW teachers should teach just what skills children should master to be on track for success