Third grade is often not recognized for what it really is: It is the pivot year for elementary school students. Your child’s performance during third grade really matters. Students will progress from learning skills to mastering and applying those skills during this year. And, newly acquired ones will become more complex. Students will begin to make connections with real-life applications. Therefore, third grade reading competency becomes extremely important.
I was a middle school math teacher and admissions administrator of a private elementary school. Often, I heard parents speak of the importance of kindergarten as the launch pad of learning for their little ones. And, they were right. Similarly, parents expressed to me their awareness that fifth grade stepped up in academic intensity. They viewed fifth grade as the preparatory year for middle school. Also, correct.
Third grade, however, was never particularly discussed and seemed to be overlooked. It seemed to be an indistinguishable grade between kindergarten and fifth grade.
Why Reading in Third Grade is Important
The focus rightly needs to shift to the critical importance of third grade. Fundamental support skills (learned in kindergarten through second grade) are being applied for the first time in third grade. Assignments are becoming more complicated, thinking more critical and analytical. Grade level academic performance is meaningful at any age. But, third grade is the crucial year when students make the leap from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”. Reading literacy is important because it underscores all subjects, including math, a subject becoming more abstract.
Reading in third grade is an important academic hurdle that, if missed, can leave students behind. Students who are weak in reading may struggle through letter sounds as their more fluent peers are quickly gaining new knowledge. Once this type of learning lag exists, it’s difficult for students to catch up.
The magazine, Education Week, cites research that “a student who can’t read on grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time”. Reading literacy and reading comprehension are necessary to learn and progress in other subjects as well: mathematics, social studies, and science. https://https://cecsolution.org/cec-has-solutions. As a result, children who are not reading at the third grade reading level will begin to fall behind academically.
Impact of Weak Reading on Learning
Students who were not reading when they began fourth grade experienced additional frustration. They were not able to comprehend approximately half of the curriculum that they were taught. These results were observed and documented in a well-known long-term study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The learning gap will, unfortunately, continue to widen as the child progresses through elementary school, middle school, and finally high school. Then, a vicious cycle sets in: school assignments become increasingly more complex and dependent on reading comprehension and synthesizing information – skills acquired through reading. Meanwhile, classes in language arts, social studies, math, and science come to rely more and more on textual analysis, so that struggling readers begin to fall behind in these subjects as well.
Not infrequently parents think that if their child is performing below grade level and struggling in the elementary grades that there is still plenty of time to intervene. After all, high school is years away and college even farther. Not so. If your child is struggling, especially in third grade, be sure that your child immediately receives the necessary academic support and intervention. It only becomes more difficult to remediate in later years than to have started early.
Third grade is a crucial year in your child’s education and needs to be embraced as such. Parents can help by assuring that their children have adequate reading and literacy skills are in place. Third grade reading competency will provide the foundation for academic success. And, it will support future successes including confidence and self-esteem. Work with your child’s teacher and school. If necessary, consult with an independent tutor and/or seek intervention. Last, if results are not forthcoming, question whether the school is the right fit for your child.