Pandemic's Lingering Impact: Young Kids' Reading Scores Lag

Young children who were infants or not yet born when the COVID-19 pandemic began are now entering their early school years, and researchers are finding that the pandemic has had a lasting impact on their education. According to a report published by the education assessment and research group NWEA, first and second graders continue to perform worse than their pre-pandemic counterparts on math and reading tests.

While math scores have shown slight improvement each year, reading scores remain stagnant. The data suggests that the slump in academic performance is not solely due to instructional disruption but may also be influenced by broader societal shifts. Megan Kuhfeld, a researcher at NWEA, noted that there is something 'systemic' happening both within and outside of schools, making it difficult to pinpoint one specific cause.

The pandemic's effects on older children's academic achievement are well-documented, with students experiencing disruptions in face-to-face instruction, mental health challenges, and overall deterioration in well-being. The federal government allocated billions of dollars to help school districts address these issues, but the results have been mixed. In 2024, reading scores for fourth- and eighth-graders continued to decline, while math scores showed an upward trend.

Testing for younger children is less common, making the NWEA report particularly insightful. Based on assessments given during the 2024-25 school year, kindergarten scores for math and science remained roughly the same throughout the pandemic. First and second graders are following a similar pattern to their older peers, with math and reading scores still falling short of pre-pandemic levels.

One potential factor contributing to the stagnant reading scores is a decline in parental engagement. Kuhfeld pointed to emerging data showing that fewer parents are reading to their children, an activity known to boost literacy. A 2024 survey of parents in the United Kingdom found that less than half of children under 5 were regularly read to, representing a significant drop from a dozen years prior.

In Minnetonka Public Schools outside Minneapolis, school leaders report that reading scores dipped during the pandemic but have since recovered. Teachers now focus more on phonics and regularly assess students' literacy skills. Students who are behind receive extra help tailored to their specific struggles. However, some factors remain out of the district's control. Associate Superintendent Amy LaDue noted that many young children were homebound during the pandemic, missing out on activities like museum visits and peer interactions that are crucial for language and literacy development.

To address these challenges, a growing number of states and cities are investing in pre-kindergarten programs to support early literacy. California has introduced universal pre-kindergarten, New York City is expanding its program to include 2-year-olds, and New Mexico has made child care free for nearly all families.