What’s Next?

The research is clear: reading development doesn’t stop in third grade—and neither should foundational literacy instruction. Here are our recommendations to help extend foundational skill growth through grade 8:

I Am A…

Policymaker District or School Leader Educator

Policymaker

Recommendations:

Slide

• Revise academic standards for grades 4–8 to include advanced foundational literacy skills, including:
• Multisyllabic decoding
• Fluency
• Morphology
• Sentence structure
• Vocabulary development

Get Our Policymaker Action Guide  Explore Our Standards & Instructional Practices Guide

District Or School Leader

System – Level Actions:

Slide

• Adopt developmentally appropriate literacy assessments that measure advanced decoding skills in grades 3–8.

Get our District/School Leader Action Guide

Educator

Instructional Steps:

Slide

Differentiate literacy support. Distinguish between students missing early foundational skills and those who need advanced decoding, fluency, or comprehension support. Interventions for older students—including English learners and students with language-based learning disabilities—should include advanced foundational literacy skills, even when early gaps remain.

Get our Educator Action Guide