Modern research has given us a more transparent image of the difficulties in reading that children face and how those difficulties can be combated daily. Here is an overview that proves that we must change how our children are taught how to read to make reading less difficult. 

Current Reading Standard 

In the United States, it is becoming more apparent that children are struggling to read, which is why modern research is calling on teachers to improve their approach to classroom achievements. 

Many children have been observed to have difficulties in reading, as 44% of fourth-graders have been seen to read below the basic level. 

While some children suffer from learning disabilities, a minimum of 80% of those fourth-graders was found to have reading problems that stemmed from language issues. This is a sobering reality for the education system in the United States.

What Needs To Be Done?

These calls for change are based on educators recognizing the need to eliminate social and personal costs. Although, the question then arises – what new standards should be set? 

What exactly must we change within the daily life of a young student in the classroom? The answer can be found within a published paper titled Informed Instruction for Reading Success.

Conclusions Of the Study

After investing 20 years into a convergent and sophisticated study, which was only possible due to the National Institute of Health’s funding, here are the conclusions that were formed regarding the failure of teaching students to read.

• Some of the reading failures were found to stem from children having an insufficient awareness of phonemes, which is the structure of words related to sounds.
• Children in early grades were seen to have either an inaccurate or poor knowledge of decoding single words. This leads to weak comprehension in later stages.
• Readers that were deemed to have weak comprehension were able to accurately and rapidly identify component sounds. This allowed them to reflect on the meaning behind the words they were reading.
• Problems in reading are impacted by biological factors, which work through affection intelligence levels.  
• Children are more likely to fail if they come from a background where books are not present or are less evident.
• It is easier for most students to spell and read well if they have been instructed in a systematic form.

Concluding Thoughts

All in all, there is a profound need for the education system to change the way children are taught to read. If not, this downwards trajectory of reading standards will continue to prevail.