Early Literacy

Learning to read is one of the most important outcomes of early childhood. Children who can read on grade level by 3rd grade are more likely to  experience success in school and positive outcomes later in life . A variety of factors either prepare children for reading success or make it more difficult for them to get on track. In this StoryMap, we explore children's reading levels in Arkansas, and the status of those key factors, including parental reading and the availability of quality child care.

Only 30% of fourth grade students in Arkansas were at or above the proficient reading level in 2022, close to the national level of 32%, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress's (NAEP)  Reading State Snapshot Report . Proficiency rates varied greatly by race, as shown in the chart below. These gaps are related to several factors including highly segregated school systems with differing levels of resources.

A key milestone for students is reading on grade level by 3 ^rd  grade. Before then, it is common that children are at many different stages in learning for reading. However if they are not reading on grade level by third grade, they will have trouble keeping up in school. In Arkansas, just over a third of 3 ^rd  graders met the proficiency level on the state’s reading assessment. 

The percentage of students scoring proficient in third grade varies greatly across school districts in the state, from as low as 5% to as high as 61%. The map below shows how districts across the state are performing.

The pandemic had profound impacts on student learning, especially for the youngest children in the critical stages of developing literacy skills. Overall, Arkansas state test results have not returned to the level they were at before the pandemic. The statewide reading proficiency level for 3rd graders was 38% in 2019 before falling three percentage points in 2022. The Arkansas Department of Education released some information about the 2023 exams in July stating that the results "show little to no rebound" when compared to 2019 results. The preliminary report actually found that third grade proficiency levels fell further to 32.2%.

Percent of 3rd Graders in Arkansas Proficient in Reading 2016-2023

According to the National Literacy Trust, evidence shows that parental involvement can provide overwhelming benefits in children's literacy. Parents reading to their children has been found to have significant positive influences on reading achievement, language comprehension, and expressive language skills. Additionally, parents who introduce their children to books and reading give them a head start in school and an academic advantage over their peers. As shown below, national survey data indicate that Arkansas lags the nation in parents reading to children 4 or more days a week, so this represents an improvement opportunity that could boost early literacy.

High quality child care for infants and toddlers can be a critical support in children developing social and academic skills. but it is often expensive and out of reach for low-income families. The accessibility of quality child care for infants and toddlers differs greatly throughout the state. The map below shows the number of publicly funded, high-quality, licensed seats in child care settings for children ages 3 months to two years, expressed as a percentage of the number of children ages 0 to 2. High-quality is defined as a seat with a 3-star rating from Arkansas' Better Beginnings program, at a Head Start center, or funded by the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program.

Hover over a county below to see the percentage of quality childcare available for children ages 3 months to two years.

Through its partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the Arkansas Imagination Library (ARIL) is working to increase literacy by sending every child aged 0-5 in Arkansas a new book a month. The organization advocates for early childhood literacy efforts and aims for every kindergartner in the state to begin school with 60 books in the home.

The map below shows the percentage of children enrolled in the ARIL by county. Some counties have great enrollment, like Pike County with 98%, while others have low enrollment numbers, like Miller County with just 13%.

Excel by Eight, an organization in Arkansas focused on building a resource grid for families and communities to help children thrive, has created an ambitious policy agenda. One of the central policy goals is to increase the number of infants and toddlers in high quality early childhood education programs. This includes:

• Improving access to quality subsidized child care
• Improving quality by increasing education levels and incomes for the early childhood education workforce
• Improving quality care through family child care homes

Click the button below to see the specific policies Excel by Eight has outlined to help meet these sub-goals.

A program of the Arkansas Department of Education, Better Beginnings was developed to help ensure that all children in Arkansas have access to quality child care. The program allows licensed child care providers to opt in to a tiered Quality Rating Improvement System. This system allows parents and families to use the  childcare finder tool  to help them choose quality care for their children. Click the button below to explore other resources the program provides for parents and families.

Read more about the Arkansas Community Foundation's work involving Early Childhood Literacy.