National assessment scores were released on Monday, October 24, and results show a significant decline in reading proficiency. Known as The Nation’s Report Card, this data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) provides insight into how students in America are performing today in math and reading. The analysis of fourth- and eighth-grade assessment data reveals that only 33% of fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders are currently proficient in reading. Compared with 2019 data, these scores are significantly down across almost every percentile. Math scores are similarly low, resulting in the most troubling Nation’s Report Card in decades. This data shows the extent to which the pandemic impacted students’ progress, putting them well behind where they should be.

Teachers, you’ve been working tirelessly to help your students through the past few years—and there’s still a huge mountain to climb. Your work has never been more essential. You probably have a long list of things you wish you could do to get your students up to speed, but you don’t have enough time or resources to do them all.

Please consider Read Naturally a partner in your efforts. We are a Science of Reading solution and have been helping struggling readers for over 30 years. Our materials are developed by reading teachers who understand struggling readers and who understand what teachers need. They understand, because they’ve been there. They’ve been in classrooms with too many students and too little time. They’ve worked with students who are too frustrated to even try. They’ve witnessed the transformation that happens when students use tools that actually work, and they’ve dedicated themselves to developing those tools and providing them to as many students as possible.

Read Naturally programs are designed to accelerate reading achievement and to meet the diverse needs of your students. We put care into every detail, from scripted phonics lessons to high-interest reading passages to robust progress reports. Our evidence-based strategy and programs are backed by the Science of Reading and address the essential components of reading. Whether your students need explicit phonics instruction, a motivating system to develop fluency, comprehension support, multilingual materials, or other, chances are Read Naturally has a solution.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Read Naturally can help, let’s connect about your situation. We would love to set you up with a free 60-day trial or help you find the materials you need. If you’re already using our programs, let’s chat about how we can broaden our impact. Every day, we connect with teachers to help them maximize the success of their program. By working together, our hope is that you will feel better supported and better equipped to help your students become proficient readers.

Read Naturally programs have helped countless students go from struggling to successful. We have countless more to help. We’d be honored to partner with you as we work to solve our nation’s literacy crisis. Reach out to connect with a member of our team—we’re here to help.