Reading literacy levels are on the rise across the globe, giving young students a set of strong skills to serve them in their futures, as well as contributing to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular those goals related to inclusive and quality education.
According to the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PRILS), launched Tuesday by the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement at the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters, in Paris, 96 per cent of fourth graders from over 60 education systems achieved scores above the international benchmark.
Reading literacy has lasting benefits
“An early start in reading literacy has lasting benefits, with students who had attended pre-primary school for three years or more reporting higher average scores,” said UNESCO in a news release to announce the findings. It also highlighted the impact of supportive home environments – with parents who engaged their children in early literacy activities – and safe and well-resources learning environments that have qualified teachers associated with higher achievement scores.
