Reading proficiency in our nation is very low. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 2024 only 31% of fourth-grade students in America could read at or above a proficient level, and even in highly educated Massachusetts, that number is only 40%. 

You might be hearing these statistics for the first time, or perhaps you’re tired of hearing the discouraging reports and statistics that pour in from the media about our educational system. If you are a parent, guardian, grandparent, or caregiver, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by information about reading failure in the United States. You might also feel uncertain about what steps you can take to lower the risk of your child becoming part of these discouraging statistics. 

Even more likely, you try reading to your child, but are still left wondering, “Is this all I can do? Is reading failure preventable for the children in my life?” 

Yes, reading failure can be prevented! In 1998, Dr. Joseph Torgesen synthesized research from the field of reading science in his groundbreaking article, “Catch Them Before They Fall:Identification and Assessment to Prevent Reading Failure in Young Children.” 

Torgesen found that children who fall behind in literacy skills by the end of first grade rarely catch up to their peers. And while later research has continued to confirm these findings, it has also shown that targeted, evidence-based instruction can significantly reduce the risk of reading failure. 

Reading research points to three key predictors of early reading success: letter knowledge, concepts of print, and the segmentation of sounds. Effective instruction in kindergarten through second grade must focus on building these foundational skills. So what exactly are they? 

Letter knowledge refers to a student’s ability to accurately and automatically name uppercase and lowercase letters. This skill is more challenging than most adults realize. Children are born with a visual system that ignores positionality, which is crucial for identifying letters. A lowercase “b” is different from a lowercase “p,” yet their shapes match. When students begin connecting letters and sounds, misidentification could lead to very different meanings, such as big vs. pig. Young children need to learn to pay close attention to letter shapes, connect them to their names, and learn to attach a sound to the corresponding letter shape. This marks the beginning of phonics instruction. 

The second key predictor of reading success is…