Students of color are at greater risk for reading difficulties – even in kindergarten
A recent study published in the *Journal of School Psychology* has shed light on the significant reading achievement gap among young students, particularly highlighting disparities based on race and ethnicity as early as kindergarten. The research, which analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics collected between 2010 and 2016, reveals that Black, Hispanic, and Native American kindergartners are disproportionately represented in the lowest tiers of reading assessments. Specifically, around 15% of these students score in the lowest 10% for reading skills—such as letter recognition and vocabulary—compared to only 6% of white and 8% of Asian students. This gap persists through elementary school, with 18%, 16%, and 10% of Black, Hispanic, and Native American fifth graders continuing to struggle with reading, while only about 5% of their white and Asian peers face similar challenges.
The study underscores the critical role of socioeconomic status in understanding these disparities. Factors such as household income and parental education levels significantly influence early academic skills, which in turn affect students’ reading abilities. Moreover, the research indicates that kindergartners who exhibit difficulties in foundational skills, including math and general learning capabilities, are at a heightened risk for ongoing reading challenges. The implications of these findings are profound, as children who struggle with reading are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and long-term consequences such as unemployment or incarceration. Alarmingly, many students of color with evident reading difficulties are not being identified for necessary interventions or support, including assessments for learning disabilities like dyslexia.
As the study highlights, the decline in reading achievement among U.S. elementary students necessitates urgent attention. While there is evidence suggesting that financial support for struggling families could enhance children’s reading outcomes, the complexity of the issue calls for more comprehensive research. Understanding the multifaceted factors influencing reading difficulties—from economic conditions to access to literacy resources—is essential in developing effective interventions. The findings advocate for early reading interventions tailored to the needs of students from marginalized backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of addressing these disparities to foster a more equitable educational landscape.
The achievement gap for young readers is stark, even in kindergarten.
andresr/E+ via Getty Images
Black, Hispanic and Native American students are more likely than white or Asian students to struggle with reading – and that gap emerges early,
according to our new research
. During kindergarten, they are more likely to score in the lowest 10% on assessments measuring skills such as letter recognition, vocabulary and recognizing common sight words. Large racial and ethnic differences in the risks for reading difficulties continue as students move through elementary school – a pattern largely explained by family income and early academic skills.
Our study, published online in November 2025
in the Journal of School Psychology
, finds that about 15% of Black, Hispanic and Native American kindergartners score in the lowest 10% of reading scores, compared to 6% and 8% of white and Asian students, respectively. By fifth grade, 18%, 16% and 10% of Black, Hispanic and Native American students are struggling. The contrasting rate for white and Asian students is about 5%.
We analyzed data collected by the U.S. Department of Education’s
National Center for Education Statistics
from 2010-2016. This data includes direct academic assessments as well as surveys of the students and their parents, teachers and school administrators.
We used standard statistical methods to explore how a wide range of factors across homes and schools – measured during kindergarten – helped explain whether students later experienced reading difficulties. A key factor, according to our analysis, is the family’s socioeconomic status: a measure including household income and parental education levels and occupations.
Kindergartners who struggled with initial reading, math and science skills, as well as more general learning abilities such as
working memory
, were also at higher risk for reading difficulties throughout elementary school.
Why it matters
U.S. elementary students’ reading achievement
has been declining
in recent years. The gap between the highest- and lowest-scoring readers is increasing too.
Supporting these children is important. Students who wrestle with reading are more likely to later experience
anxiety and depression
. Adults with reading difficulties are also more likely
to be incarcerated
and unemployed
. In
one study
, for example, about half of Texas prisoners were poor readers.
Because our findings suggest Black, Hispanic and Native American students are
at higher risk for reading difficulties
by kindergarten, students from these groups may have greater needs for early reading interventions that provide extra help with phonics, vocabulary and reading fluency. Some of these students may also have unrecognized learning disabilities.
Yet students of color are less likely to be
identified with disabilities
,
including dyslexia
– even when the students are experiencing early and significant reading difficulties.
What still isn’t known
How economic and educational policies and practices can best help lower the risks of reading difficulties is poorly understood. There is
some evidence
that cash transfers to financially struggling families may increase children’s later reading achievement. Poverty is also associated with lower exposure to age-appropriate books and other
early literacy materials
and fewer opportunities to acquire a
larger vocabulary
.
Our longitudinal research adds to the very limited understanding of the early economic, environmental, cognitive, academic and behavioral factors that help shape elementary students’ reading abilities. Most other studies have focused on a single grade and examined a limited set of specific skills – such as
how children process sounds
– instead of multiple grades and a more general set of risk factors.
More
research is needed
to identify the full range of reasons why elementary students begin to struggle in reading and what can be done to best help them.
The
Research Brief
is a short take on interesting academic work.
Paul L. Morgan receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Institute of Education Sciences.
Eric Hengyu Hu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
