2023 Children's Mental Health Report
Evidence-Based
Reading Instruction
and Educational Equity
Download Report
Introduction
Reading is a fundamental skill underlying academic achievement, professional success, and full participation in society. But right now, staggering numbers of children in the United States are struggling to learn to read.
Our 2023 Children’s Mental Health Report takes a close look at the following topics to see how we can remedy this urgent problem:
- What we know about how reading difficulties can affect kids’ mental health
- The latest brain-based research on how children learn to read, and how the brains of children with dyslexia are different
- What the evidence tells us about the most effective ways to teach children to read
- How we can work together to help the next generation of American children grow into skilled, confident readers
Key Stats
33%
Only a third of fourth-grade students in the U.S. are proficient readers.
16%
16 percent of students who aren’t reading proficiently by the end of third grade don’t graduate from high school on time.
23%
About 48 million adults — 23 percent — in the United States have low English literacy skills.
Resources for
Parents and Educators
Educational resources: Learn more about supporting kids’ literacy with our free resources, including information about the best way to teach kids to read and why it’s important to read to your child.
School-based interventions: Our School and Community Programs team offers remediation groups for students struggling with reading. Available locally in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Clinical support: Our clinical centers in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area provide a range of services for kids struggling with reading, including evaluations, personalized education plans, and skills interventions.
Download the
Report and Summary
Download the 2023 Children’s Mental Health Report or view our past reports.
