Primary Student Reading Study

Early reading readiness among students in kindergarten through second grade has stagnated, with 34% performing below benchmark, according to Amplify's recent data from mCLASS DIBELS tests. The study, which evaluates 350,000 students across 43 states, shows that while kindergartners maintained last year's levels, proficiency among first- and second-graders slightly declined, particularly in oral reading fluency.  Modan, N. (2026). Progress paused: What end-of-year data reveal about early literacy in grades K–2. Amplify. https://amplify.com/pdf/uploads/2026/06/mCLASS_EOY_Report_072426.pdf

Primary grades literacy study

Intensive support is needed to help roughly one-third of children in kindergarten through third grade who are not reading at grade level, according to a recent study. For instance, there are first-grade students who do not know the alphabet. While the so-called COVID cohort of students in kindergarten, first and second grade are making progress, they haven’t caught up to where students in those grade levels were performing before schools shut down in March 2020. Fourth and fifth graders seem to have recovered.  Learning disruptions such as quarantines and closings significantly impact literacy outcomes, including slow progress. One-to-one tutoring mitigates this issue. Data also shows racial disparities, with Black and Hispanic students in K-2 not making as strong of a comeback as white students and gaps growing larger than they were before the pandemic.

COVID-19 means more students not learning to read. (2021). Amplify. 

https://go.info.amplify.com/download-whitepaper-fy21_general_moydata_national_readingresearch

Early predictors of science achievement research

A kindergartner's basic world knowledge may be a strong predictor of third-grade science achievement, according to a recent report. Researchers also found a correlation between early math and reading skills and science achievement. Efforts to address science achievement gaps in the United States likely require intensified early intervention efforts, particularly those delivered before the primary grades.
Morgan, P. et al. (2016). Science achievement gaps begin very early, persist, and are largely explained by modifiable factors. Educational Researcher (Feb. 23).
http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/News-Releases-and-Statements/Science-Achievement-Gaps-Begin-by-Kindergarten/Science-Achievement-Gaps-Begin-Very-Early-Persist-and-Are-Largely-Explained-by-Modifiable-Factors