Five years out from the pandemic, young readers have made much progress—but the pace has slowed.

The latest end-of-year data show improvement in early literacy across grades K–2. Overall, insights suggest:

  • More young learners are above benchmark, and fewer are behind.
  • Year over year improvements have slowed.
  • Outcomes vary for boys and girls.
An adult helps a child read a book at a table. The child is writing, and the adult is smiling. The setting resembles a classroom, with windows in the background.

Explore Amplify’s end-of-year research brief.

Bar chart showing the percent of kindergarten students on track, with values 55, 38, 47, 52, 54, and 55. Highest and lowest percentages are 55% and 38%.

More young learners are above benchmark, fewer are behind.

68 percent of K–2 students are on track to learn to read. While progress was less dramatic than in recent years, students are more likely to end the year on track in the earliest grades (K–1).

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Table showing change in scores for Kindergarten to Grade 2 from 2020–21 (-6 to -18 pts) and 2023–24 (-1 pt for all). Grades K–2 overall: -12 pts (2020–21), -1 pt (2023–24).

Year-over-year improvements have slowed, despite overall gains.

Despite overall gains, year-over-year improvements in reading readiness have slowed. Since the 2023–24 school year, the percentage of students on track has improved by only 1–2 points in each grade.

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Bar chart showing percent of male and female students on track for learning to read in 2024–25; females score higher than males both at start (72% vs 68%) and end of year (71% vs 66%).

Gender disparities are complex, with varying outcomes for boys and girls.

Across grades K–2, boys score the same or better than girls in reading readiness at the beginning of the year. But girls show more improvement than boys during the school year, narrowing gaps by end-of-year.

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Research briefs for the 2024–2025 school year

October 2024

BOY: Summer instructional loss highlights the importance of quality core instruction for the youngest grades.

Read the brief

February 2025

MOY: Early literacy gains offer hope for COVID recovery, though broader literacy challenges persist nationwide.

Read the brief

July 2025

EOY: Reading scores rise overall; gender disparities present a complex picture.

Read the brief

Read more research and case studies.

Amplify’s high-quality programs benefit millions of students every day using methods that are evidence-based, ESSA-aligned, and showing efficacy in a variety of contexts. Read more research and case studies and see more briefs on early literacy.