Special Report

Tackling the Decline in Student Reading

October 19, 2026
A student reads from his copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon at Murphy Middle School in Dacula, Ga., in teacher Jaime Johnson's 6th grade class. Johnson has students read together in class as part of an effort to ensure they complete texts and, hopefully, get hooked on the power of books.
A student reads from his copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon at Murphy Middle School in Dacula, Ga., in teacher Jaime Johnson's 6th grade class. Johnson has students read together in class as part of an effort to ensure they complete texts and, hopefully, get hooked on the power of books.
Photo by Dustin Chambers
You’ve seen the data: Fewer children are reading for pleasure, and their teachers report difficulty engaging them in reading in school and getting them to read at home. Research links the volume of text kids consume with their overall reading ability. Our newest report looks both at classroom strategies and other tactics educators have found to boost engagement in reading. A mix of modeling, teacher guidance, incentives, and parent involvement seems most likely to move the needle.