About half of Utah’s third-graders are not reading at grade level, according to a new report from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
Neither are nearly half of Utah’s kindergarteners through second graders, the study found.
The analysis, commissioned by the Clark and Christine Ivory Foundation, comes about two weeks before the start of Utah’s next legislative session and “underscores the urgent need for coordinated early literacy initiatives,” a news release on the report states.
Third grade marks a crucial moment in a child’s academic career and future success, the report notes. That’s because after third grade, reading becomes the primary way students are expected to absorb information across all subjects.
Those who have not mastered it risk falling behind. And the report notes many Utah students who are not proficient readers are moving on to the next grade.
“Children shape Utah’s future, and their ability to read proficiently by the end of third grade plays a central role in the opportunities they have,” the report states.
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