How Personalized Learning Can Help Solve the Literacy Crisis

Introduction

One in four students grow up without learning how to read; two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. Literacy can be viewed as one of the most important educational areas in our society. 

Students entering the adult world of the 21st century will read and write more than any other group in history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as productive citizens, and conduct their personal lives. In 2024, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) report stated that less than 50% (43% to be exact) of 4th grade students in our nation's classrooms scored at or above a proficient level in reading. Unfortunately, the numbers are worse when you drill down based upon race, gender, and learning needs.

More specifically, in the state of Arkansas, research shows that  seven out of ten 4th graders do not read on a proficient level. 

• 31% of Arkansas’ 4th-grade students are proficient in reading (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2015). 

• 27% of Arkansas’ 8th-grade students are proficient in reading (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2015). 

• Arkansas ranks in the lower third in reading scores in comparison to other states (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2015). 

• 48.6% of Arkansas’ students in grades 3-10 are proficient in English language arts (ACT Aspire, 2015). 

• 39% of Arkansas’ graduating seniors met reading readiness benchmarks on the (ACT, 2015).
  
  

So the question is not if something needs to change, but rather why hasn’t something changed and when will that change happen.

Research and experience has shown us that the literacy capacity of an individual, specifically students in K3, plays a pivotal role in determining future success and development in many areas such as academic achievement, economic status, etc. Students from kindergarten to second grade are learning to read; students who are in grades three and beyond are reading to learn. If there are gaps in this process, there can be detrimental effects for these young learners. Educators and practitioners have also come to find  that students are learning differently in today’s instructional environment. It has become increasingly important for educators to reassess instructional delivery and pedagogy. 

In recent years, evidence-based research has shown that when learning is personalized by being based on the student’s individual learning levels and needs, students have been able to increase their learning capacity. Allie Benjamin (2023) stated that personalized learning incorporates multiple components designed to support improved learning outcomes, potentially leading to an overall boost in reading comprehension. Reading comprehension is one of the most important components of learning to read; it is a building block in the science of reading. Innovative technology, such as instructional tools that include AI, can significantly impact, support, and increase the literacy capacity. Innovative technology makes learning more engaging, age appropriate, adaptable, and personalized. 

The Role of Personalized Learning in Education

The one-size-fits-all model has caused students to become disengaged, chronically absent, and suffer in performance. Personalized learning will be the solution to many of the challenges we are currently facing in education today, and the literacy crisis is a perfect example. But before expanding on how exactly it will help bring literacy levels back, it is important to define what personalized learning is and what it is not.

Personalized learning means curating a unique learning experience for each specific student based on a holistic view of who they are. In order to do this, you must have an understanding of who they are as a learner and a person, not just one or the other. This means caring about their background, interests, dreams, and ways of thinking, while also having a reliable and consistent way of measuring their proficiencies, strengths, and weaknesses. Personalized learning is not  matching students with a piece of content that is in a generalized tier of difficulty, and it is not allowing students to simply choose which book they want to read. True personalization means that the material is optimized and created specifically for that student.

In the past, personalized learning has been defined as placing a computer in front of students and allowing them to work at their own pace. The level of personalization

Leveraging AI to Enable Personalized Learning

Despite its novel feel, personalized learning is not a new concept, but something that educators have wanted to do for a long time. Every teacher knows their students need different things, and really good teachers probably even know exactly what it is that each student needs, but it’s nearly impossible for one teacher to create, source, assign, and then grade different things for each student. Due to lack of resources and time, it was never possible to truly attempt this until now, through the power of AI.

Not only can AI automate these processes, but it can do them at a higher level and with more detail than a human has the time to do. AI can be trained and informed to generate things at a certain proficiency level, ensuring that material is not too hard to the point where students are unmotivated from doing it, but not too easy to the point where there is no reward for completing it. AI can tailor things to students’ interests and personality types, creating engaging learning experiences for them . Along with this, feedback can be given instantly, as AI can identify exactly where a student went wrong and provide qualitative feedback for them to apply right away, creating a strong feedback loop.

Connecting Personalized Learning to Literacy Solutions

Some educators are still comfortable with operating in a one- room classroom concept–a one-size-fits-all mindset– which does not work for our students  because it creates an inequity issue. A high percentage of our students are not receiving the education that they need,  not just to be successful, but, more importantly, to be functional young people who are equipped  with the necessary skills to make sound, practical decisions. Until we really take the time and learn each of our students’ interests and comprehension levels, we will continue to have major academic issues in our schools, and not just public schools. When educators have the opportunity, the support, and the training to implement high-impact learning with innovative tools, students will receive the instructional support they need to be successful in today’s classroom, and eventually in our community of tomorrow. 

Overcoming Barriers to Implementation

As we continue on this new frontier of innovation and education, we must encourage and support the fruitful conversations on how education must be individualized based upon the students’ needs, and how funding must be reallocated to meet those needs. It is imperative that LEAs and SEAs take the time to evaluate programs, initiatives, and roles on their level of impact on student achievement and learning. If certain initiatives and programs are not having an impact, leaders must be courageous enough to go back to the table and revisit alternative plans. It is all in the cycle of inquiry and action research: reviewing the data, having meaningful dialogues and planning sessions, implementing the plan that has evidence-based research to support it, and then revisiting and evaluating the plan. It is an ongoing process that should never end. The key to the success of this process is ensuring that the way an entity funds their programs and initiatives should also be aligned with it. Educational entities should no longer, after careful consideration and evaluation, continue to fund programs and services that are not having an impact on student achievement, student learning, and educator growth. 

Wrap Up

Personalized learning has so much potential to change student development,  and has the ability to impact the culture of school. Students will no longer come to school in fear of being graded on assignments that never made sense to them, but will look forward to the work they get to do both in and out of the classroom. The most important…Students will come to school looking forward to working on what is next, not in fear of being graded on an assessment that just doesn’t make sense for them. The most important thing in a child’s development can finally be made for them.