First graders are better readers than they were 12 years ago, according to an Ohio State study, reports USA Today. Students are learning in kindergarten what used to be taught in first grade.
Low-performing students improved in letter identification, word recognition, identifying and using sounds and print awareness, compared to similar students tested 12 years earlier.
“However, the gap grew between low-performers and other students when it came to advanced skills of writing vocabulary and text reading,” reports USA Today.
“There’s a missing link between teaching low-achieving students basic literacy skills and having them actually put those skills to use in reading,” said co-author Jerome D’Agostino.
“We’re probably spending too much time emphasizing basic skills for the low-achieving students,” said co-author Emily Rodgers. “We should be giving them more opportunities to actually read text.”