STATISTICS

In the United States a significant portion of children struggle with reading, with statistics highlighting disparities based on socioeconomic status and race. Approximately 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level. Moreover, a substantial number of children, especially those from low-income families, start kindergarten-the first formal year of school without the necessary skills for learning, and many fall behind their peers.

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*Nearly 65% of America's 4th graders do not read at a proficient level

*In 2002, 37% of 4th graders were reading at a "below basic" level, an increase from 34% in 2019

*Approximately 1 in 4 children grow up without learning how to read adequately by the age of eleven

*Two-thirds of students who are not proficient readers by fourth grade are at an increased rate of incarceration or dependence on public assistance