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Shawn Datchuk, Associate Professor of Special Education, University of Iowa

New reading textbooks, same problem: Why children’s reading scores in the US aren’t rising

Approximately 34% of U.S. fourth grade students without disabilities and 72% of students with disabilities scored below basic reading levels in 2024. Anna Maslennikova/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Recently, I worked with a group of elementary teachers in Iowa to select new reading textbooks and software. They wanted new materials to improve their district’s stagnant reading scores.

After several days of reviewing materials from a state-approved list, one of the teachers asked me, “Will any of these help my students learn to read?”

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