Young Kids Leap Ahead, Older Ones Stall

Younger kids are surging academically post-pandemic, especially in reading, thanks to early literacy pushes like New Mexico’s $112 million phonics investment—boosting grades 3–8 reading scores by 10 points. But older teens are lagging: 13-year-olds saw a math dip and flat reading scores, revealing a troubling divide. National data shows reading progress stalled since the 1970s, with a sharp decline starting around 2012—meaning the pandemic worsened, not caused, the crisis. The biggest gains? Youngest, lowest-performing students—9-year-olds in the bottom 10% now outpace their 1970s peers. Yet, no one knows exactly what’s driving these wins. The puzzle? Younger kids are thriving while older ones stall—hinting at deeper, systemic education challenges beyond the pandemic. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c502c0f0b0bbad4f