Addressing the Middle School Reading Crisis: Urgent Need for Foundational Decoding Interventions
Bridging the Middle School Reading Gap
The NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), known as the "Nation's Report Card," reveals how students are performing in key subjects like reading. The 2022 NAEP reading results showed that 69% of eighth graders were not proficient readers, a decline from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, highlighting the lasting impact of COVID-19 disruptions on learning.
Students entering middle school in 2024 were in kindergarten through fourth grade during the pandemic, missing essential reading skills like phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. As a result, many are now below grade-level reading expectations, with some students who were previously on track now falling behind.
A major issue is that many middle school students still struggle with decoding, the skill necessary for understanding text. Research shows that students who lack strong decoding abilities cannot improve their comprehension, meaning these students need targeted interventions to build decoding skills before they can fully develop reading proficiency.
These challenges are compounded by the fact that middle school teachers often lack training in foundational reading instruction. To address this, teachers need research-based interventions that focus on; building decoding skills first and then improving comprehension. Instruction should be structured and age-appropriate, helping students catch up while engaging them in meaningful content.
EPS Reading Accelerator Provides a Simple, Sustainable, and Speedy Intervention Path for Building Middle School Reading Proficiency
EPS Reading Accelerator is an evidence-based reading intervention program for striving middle school students, grounded in the science of reading, designed to help students master foundational reading skills in whole-class and Tier 2 intervention group settings. In just one day of initial training and three 20-minute lessons per week, EPS Reading Accelerator sets up students and educators for accelerated, sustainable success.
