Third grade reading proficiency is a powerful indicator for future academic success, high school graduation, and life stability.

Third grade reading is a critical milestone

The ability to read by the end of third grade is an important indicator of later academic success as well as economic success. Third grade marks a time when children shift from learning to read to reading to learn. 

However, children who cannot read proficiently cannot make this shift, which has serious implications for future learning as nearly half of the printed fourth grade curriculum in the US is incomprehensible to children who cannot read at grade level. As a result, these children fall even further behind in school than children who can read.

Nearly 2/3 of kids can’t read proficiently by the end of 3^rd grade-this is a crisis.

Additional Resources:

• Get Georgia Reading: Georgia's Campaign for Grade Level Reading
• National Campaign for Grade Level Reading