CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Four professionals representing different organizations and areas of focus around literacy shared various perspectives on the teaching of reading at the K-12 level during “A Look Inside Literacy: Reading and Success in the Classroom and Beyond,” a recent panel discussion at Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV). The event was co-sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Campus Library and Office of Academic Affairs as part of an annual series focusing on various types of literacy.

“We really decided to focus on reading literacy for this year’s panel because of its centrality to all education and the idea of access and equity in society,” said Jen Jarson, head librarian at the Penn State University Libraries' Lehigh Valley Campus Library, interim head librarian at Ciletti Memorial Library at Penn State Schuylkill, and one of the event co-organizers. “The panelists emphasized that reading is the core thing a student needs to be successful in their lives and the long-term ripple effects for students who struggle with reading.”

Further, Jarson, Elizabeth Nelson and Lisa Rand, reference and instruction librarians at Lehigh Valley Campus Library and event co-organizers, were inspired to develop this event after learning about this issue from multiple sources, including articles from NPR and APM highlighting how Jack Silva, superintendent of schools for the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD), was taking action to address struggles with literacy learning in the BASD elementary schools; the podcast "Sold a Story," which included some highlights specific to the Lehigh Valley; and the local work of Lehigh Valley Reads, a community reading initiative, through Nicole Moschberger, English and academic literacy instructor at Northampton Community College.

According to the above sources, reading levels across the country have declined steadily over the last decade. For example, according to the website NationsReportCard.gov, only 56% of third graders were scoring proficient on the state reading test in Pennsylvania in 2015. In 2022, only 34% of fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders scored above proficient on their state reading tests.

Panelists Michelle Kaschak, assistant teaching professor of English at PSU-LV; Moschberger; Jill Pereira, vice president of strategic partnerships for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley; and Silva engaged in a robust and thought-provoking discussion around basic literacy skills. The discussion also touched on how teaching reading has changed and the research behind those methodologies. Phonics was once stressed as the standard for teaching reading but was replaced in many schools and districts by sight words and whole word or whole language reading. Experts and reading scientists are now recommending a move back to focusing on phonics and letter sounds as the most important part of teaching children to read.

Much of the discussion centered around the evolving nature of how reading should be taught and the struggles each panelist is seeing with the respective demographics they work with.

“That part of the conversation really brought home how important it is that we get this right at an early age,” Jarson said. “With the time lost and setbacks students experience if they don’t come to some fluency at a young age, it becomes more difficult to overcome those setbacks [later]. If they can’t overcome it, it really creates a ripple effect for themselves, their families, and their communities.” She added, “It’s not the fault of the individual teachers that this wasn’t working — we touched on how we’ve reached a new understanding about how reading should be taught. The panelists explained that research is helping draw a roadmap now that should be broadly adopted.” 

Nelson reflected on how many basic daily functions are made more difficult, if not impossible, for those with limited reading ability.

“Think of how many things we interact with where we need to be able to read," Nelson said. "Not everyone is a strong reader because of a variety of factors, including how we teach reading. But reading is still part of everything, it’s part of our everyday lives.”

Nelson said the stigma around struggling with reading may prevent students and adults alike from seeking help.

“I’m worried this issue has internal ripple effects, in that rather than seeking help, students are internalizing it as an individual problem — like, ‘I have to read this and I’m not getting it, so maybe I shouldn’t be in this major, or maybe I shouldn’t be in college, maybe I’m just not smart enough’ — rather than seeing it as a large-scale issue and not a reflection of their own intelligence," Nelson said. "I worry that people are out there thinking they’re not capable because they don’t realize the full scale of the issue and that they are very far from alone in being affected by this.”

There is help available, however — People can learn to read at any age with appropriate support. Programs like LV Reads are community-based literacy resources that community members of any age can access. 

“A big takeaway was that we should all be aware that reading literacy rates are falling around the U.S. and make sure we’re not just trying to address that issue, but also finding ways to make information and learning more accessible to everyone who may be struggling with reading,” Nelson said.