Literacy is the foundation of lifelong learning and opportunity, and education leaders across the country remain committed to ensuring that every child develops the skills needed to thrive in school and beyond. Yet, despite sustained effort, too many students continue to struggle. Data from the 2024 National Assessment of Academic Progress (NAEP) revealed that 69% of fourth graders have not reached reading proficiency, and 40% perform below a basic level.
These sobering statistics reinforce the need to rethink how we support literacy development. What if we viewed literacy through the lens of “literacy fitness”--an approach that emphasizes strong foundational skills, continuous growth, and support matched to each stage of development?
Imagine setting a goal to complete a marathon or even a 5K. You would not begin by running the full distance. Instead, you would follow a thoughtful training plan based on your current fitness level, with incremental goals, gradually building strength and endurance step by step. Consistency and intentional practice are essential—not only to cross the finish line but to continue running with confidence long after race day.
A “literacy fitness” approach poses a similar question: What training do students need at each stage of literacy development to become strong readers? This mindset encourages students to build skills progressively, based on students’ current abilities, and it recognizes the essential role of teachers as expert coaches who guide and motivate their students.
By third grade, reading instruction typically shifts toward comprehension. Educators often assume decoding and fluency skills are in place, and reading challenges are frequently attributed to comprehension difficulties.
However, research shows that students must cross the “decoding threshold” before comprehension instruction can be fully effective (Wang, et al., 2019) Until students develop automatic word recognition and sufficient fluency, their cognitive energy remains focused on decoding, leaving limited capacity for comprehension. For many striving readers, comprehension difficulties are actually a downstream effect of foundational skill gaps.
Despite this evidence, literacy intervention in grades three and beyond often prioritizes comprehension skills and strategies. For students who have not yet crossed the decoding threshold, this rarely produces meaningful gains. As research has clarified, when intervention time emphasizes comprehension before foundational decoding skills are secure, progress stalls (Wang et al., 2019). As a result, many striving readers in upper elementary and middle school continue to struggle without receiving the support they truly need.
The Simple View of Reading framework (Gough and Tunmer, 1986) clarifies that reading comprehension depends on both language comprehension and strong word recognition skills. Regardless of grade, students who lack solid decoding abilities will not benefit fully from comprehension-focused instruction alone.
A student-centered, growth-oriented approach means matching each student with the right support at the right time. While evidence-based intervention is critical, it is lacking in many upper-grades classrooms. One recent survey found that nearly 75% of teachers in grades 3-8 report needing additional resources to identify and deliver appropriate support for older students with reading difficulties.
At EPS Learning, we believe literacy fitness is fundamental and attainable for every student. Regardless of a learner's starting point, timely, student-centered support can make a life-changing difference.
SPIRE supports students in Tier 3 and special education settings, including those with dyslexia. Grounded in Structured Literacy and Orton-Gillingham principles, SPIRE helps students cross the decoding threshold through systematic, multisensory instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
For students in grades three and beyond who need targeted foundational support, EPS Reading Accelerator offers a Tier 2 solution. Designed for older learners whose comprehension has plateaued due to decoding gaps, Reading Accelerator combines teacher-led Structured Literacy instruction with independent online fluency practice to efficiently address skill gaps—in one school year or less.
SPIRE Up provides an intensive, Orton-Gillingham-based, blended learning solution for students in grades K-8+ with the most significant reading needs. It combines multisensory, teacher-led Structured Literacy intervention with digital tools to build foundational reading skills while supporting high-fidelity implementation.
Students who have crossed the decoding threshold can continue their literacy fitness journey through programs that strengthen close reading, critical thinking, vocabulary, advanced word study, and text analysis skills. With solutions spanning grades and tiers, EPS Learning enables educators to support every reader’s ongoing growth.
Building literacy fitness requires solutions that honor teachers’ expertise and daily realities. EPS Learning pairs evidence-based programs with practical professional learning, including one-day training and ongoing coaching.
No matter where students begin, the goal is a sustainable, growth-oriented approach to literacy fitness that enables every student to read with confidence and ease—through the grades and into the lifelong opportunities that follow.