Study Shows Decrease in Reading Skills Amongst Fourth Graders in United States

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, also known as PIRLS, has recently found that reading comprehension among fourth-grade students in the U.S. has gradually slowed down since 2001, allowing education systems in other countries whose students used to perform worse than those in the U.S. to catch up – and even surpass – the U.S. in an international ranking. When it comes to the standing of U.S. students, fourth grade reading comprehension has slipped since 2011 – though not statistically significantly – lowering its position in the international ranking to 16th place. In 2011, four education systems scored higher than the average reading score of U.S. students, while in 2016, 12 education systems scored higher. These statistics are important as they allow for a greater understanding of how the reading knowledge and skills of U.S. fourth-graders compare with fourth-graders from other countries. PIRLS informs national discussions about education policy as well as international competitiveness

Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Foy, P., & Drucker, K. P. (2012). PIRLS 2011 international results in reading. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/pirls2011/downloads/P11_IR_FullBook.pdf