This research is from The New York Times. Although this isn’t local research, I would imagine similar outcomes are occurring in the UK.

How has the pandemic affected reading abilities?

The pandemic has impacted reading and education in general in many ways. Children in primary school have particularly been affected as they missed out on over a year of learning. Some children missed out on learning the basics of reading such as, how to pronounce certain sounds. Although they were encouraged to learn at home, most parents don’t have the skills or time to teach their children these things thoroughly. “many families, concerned about the virus, opted to continue full-time remote learning.”

The impact

Who is affected?

The majority of children have experienced a negative impact on their education due to the pandemic. However, “60 percent of students at some high-poverty schools have been identified as at high risk for reading problems”. This is twice as many children as it was before the pandemic. Those from minority groups, low income families and those with disabilities have also fallen further behind.

Other facts & statistics

The Sunday Times reported that “some 11-year-olds are only able to understand books suitable for six-year-olds”.

“Poor reading skills can cause behavioural problems and damage self-esteem, limit academic success, diminish employment opportunities, and can lead to crime and substance abuse. An estimated 60% of our country’s prison population is illiterate, and illiteracy reduces our nation’s global economic competitiveness and impacts the quality of our democracy.”

The National Literacy Trust would suggest this is in fact true as they estimate 7.1 million adults in England have ‘very poor literacy skills’.

A study conducted by Oxford University Press found that 1 in 4 children are now behind in reading

“Children who are weak readers will struggle as much in maths and science at GCSE as they do in English and in arts subjects.” – GL Assessment

The ‘Read All About It’ study by GL Assessment found that:

What else is affecting reading abilities?

This problem didn’t just come from the pandemic. In 2019, national and international exams showed a decrease in performance in reading.

My conclusion

Overall, this research has highlighted to me just how big of a problem this is. It is a growing issue in both America and the UK. This has been a growing problem for many years but the pandemic has sped it up even more. Many young children missed out on essencial learning and skills and are struggling to catch up. I hope that my product can make reading less intimidating for these children and help them improve their skills without making it feel like a chore.