INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana fourth graders are making significant strides in their reading proficiency, ranking 6th in the nation according to the most recent National Report Card, up from 19th place.
This improvement is part of a broader initiative encouraging families to read for at least 30 minutes a day, as part of the Read Across America challenge, which focuses on enhancing reading outcomes for children.
Despite these advancements, young children have struggled with reading since the pandemic.
"The gap that occurred in those fundamental years during COVID are still kind of tricky for us," said Monica Shellhamer, a third-grade teacher.
Shellhamer participated in a storytelling session at the Statehouse for Read Across America Week, where her students were among over 100 participants. She believes that changes in teaching methods have contributed to improved reading scores but emphasizes the need for additional classroom support.
"We see a lot of growth when we can pull our kids into small groups and one-on-one to help target some of those missing gaps. A lot of times when you fix those missing things then you make the biggest growth," she stated.
The Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) is advocating for legislative measures to get children reading earlier, such as implementing all-day kindergarten and universal pre-K.
"That's part of why we focus so much on making sure that we have kindergarten as a requirement in the state because if we get kids in kindergarten and not 1st grade, they've got that additional year to build those skills," said Jennifer Smith-Margraf, ISTA Vice President.
Currently, Hoosier children are not required to attend school until the first grade. While some lawmakers are hesitant to make kindergarten mandatory, Senator Aaron Freeman is in favor of it.
"The sooner we can get these kids in, the sooner we can get them learning to read, giving them the background that they need and the tools they need to read, the better. So I am in for whatever goal that is," said Freeman, a Republican from Indianapolis.
In previous sessions, lawmakers have raised concerns about funding for universal pre-K. Although it is not on the table for this legislative session, educators remain hopeful that it will be considered in the future.
