WHYY
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In this Jan. 14, 2019 file photo, books are pictured at the Bache Martin School Library in Philadelphia. (Samantha Madera/City of Philadelphia)
Getting Philadelphia children to read at grade level by the end of the third grade continues to be a priority for the city and literacy partners, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the 2013 school year, less than half of the Philadelphia School District’s 8-year-olds have achieved that benchmark, according to the district. Literacy advocates say by the time fourth-grade students make the switch from “learning to read to reading to learn,” if students are not ready for that change, then they’ll likely fall behind.