– A large new study has found that basic academic skills are learned earlier and earlier. In 2013, for example, children starting first grade had significantly better reading abilities than the pupils of the same age had at the beginning of the century. Another good news, even disadvantaged students improved in fundamental reading skills during this period, narrowing the achievement gap with their more advantaged peers.

– According to Jerome D’Agostino, professor of educational studies at the Ohio State University and co-author of the research, there is evidence that the increasing importance of early learning has a real effect on the development of reading abilities by first grade. “We’re probably spending too much time emphasizing basic skills for the low-achieving students, when we should be giving them more opportunities to actually read text,” added the researcher.

Kindergarten is the new first grade (The Ohio State University)

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