Children Hit Hardest By Pandemic Still Need Reading Help

Young students who were hit hardest by the pandemic are entering the upper grades of elementary school. Many will need extra reading support that schools aren’t used to providing for older children. The students who were just starting school when the world shut down in 2020 showed some of the most alarming delays in their ability to read. To help them catch up, schools deployed a wide range of strategies. And among some incoming fourth-graders, there are encouraging signs of gains. But now that they’re big kids, will they get the same help? Experts say few upper-grade teachers know how to build foundational reading skills.