Technology can help schools identify struggling readers months earlier than traditional assessments, allowing districts to intervene with precision-targeted support before reading gaps become entrenched. First and second graders across America are still reading below pre-pandemic levels, and experts say the solution isn't just better teaching, but smarter data use combined with AI-powered tutoring and practice tools that give students real-time feedback.

Why Are Early Elementary Reading Scores Still Lagging?

America's youngest learners face a persistent reading crisis. According to data from education research group NWEA, first and second grade reading scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, even as math performance has begun to recover. The gap suggests deeper systemic issues affecting early literacy development both inside and outside the classroom.

Several factors contribute to this stagnation. Chronic absenteeism has increased since the pandemic, and attendance directly correlates with reading progress. Additionally, many young students have experienced more screen time and less one-on-one conversation and parent-child reading time compared with their older peers, which undermines early language development and pre-reading skills. Students in under-resourced school districts also lack access to additional instructional support that could help them catch up.

"Some of the most significant reasons for the gaps may include interrupted foundational literacy instruction, reduced oral language experiences, increased behavioral and social emotional needs, or more screen time and less shared reading time," said Miriam Williams, a former teacher and administrator who is currently a professional development specialist at 3P Learning.

Miriam Williams, Professional Development Specialist at 3P Learning

How Can Schools Identify Struggling Readers Earlier?

The districts making real progress are those that intervene early rather than waiting for end-of-year assessments. Technology enables schools to connect reading data, attendance data, and behavior data in one place, giving teachers a complete picture of each student rather than isolated data points. This shift from reactive to proactive intervention can mean the difference between catching a problem in October versus April.

Illinois School District U-46 demonstrates the power of this approach. After implementing a system that made it easier to use data to identify students in need early and match them to the right intervention, the district increased the percentage of students reading at grade level from 8% to 34% in just two years. That's a four-fold improvement driven largely by earlier identification and faster action.

"The districts making real progress are the ones who intervene early rather than waiting until the nine-week grading period or an end-of-year assessment. They're connecting reading data, attendance data and behavior data in one place, so teachers can see the full picture of a student rather than one data point in isolation," said Jodi Dodds Kinner, national vice president of strategic accounts at Panorama Education.

Jodi Dodds Kinner, National Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Panorama Education

Ways to Use Technology to Support Struggling Readers

Once schools identify a struggling reader, the real work begins. Technology should enhance and reinforce high-quality teaching, not replace it. Experts recommend investing in digital resources that provide explicit, systematic instruction in the foundational components of literacy. Here are the key approaches schools are using:

• Real-Time Progress Monitoring: When teachers can see growth week over week rather than just three times a year, they can identify what's working and adjust instruction immediately. Research with Johns Hopkins University showed first-grade students moving from 6% to 48% grade-level reading proficiency in a single school year with tightly monitored tutoring, and 85% of those students retained their gains through second grade with no further support needed.
• Virtual High-Dosage Tutoring Platforms: These tools deliver true one-on-one interventions, not just small-group support. One-on-one tutoring provides the precision to close specific skill gaps, allowing tutors to see exactly where a student's decoding breaks down and adjust the next prompt in real time, which is especially valuable in rural or hard-to-staff schools.
• AI-Supported Practice Tools: Speech recognition and other AI-powered tools give students more repetitions of decoding practice with real-time feedback. These tools can tell if a student is actually decoding correctly rather than guessing from pictures, freeing up human tutors and teachers to focus on the highest-leverage moments of instruction.

The key insight from these approaches is timing. Identifying a struggling reader is only the first step; what matters is how quickly schools can move from diagnosis to intervention. The gap between noticing a problem and providing help should be measured in days, not months.

"The unlock is what happens in the days after you identify a struggling reader. Too many districts have great diagnostic data and no scalable way to act on it. Ultimately, technology should shrink the time between 'We noticed this student is behind' and 'This student is getting the right help,' not just produce another dashboard," said Jessica Reid Sliwerski, CEO and co-founder of Ignite Reading.

Jessica Reid Sliwerski, CEO and Co-founder of Ignite Reading

The evidence is clear: when schools combine early identification with targeted, technology-enabled interventions, reading outcomes improve dramatically. The challenge now is scaling these approaches across districts with varying resources and technical capacity. But the path forward is visible, and it starts with data, not just good intentions.