BRYANT, Ark. — With the Arkansas LEARNS Act taking effect soon and kids returning to the classroom, educators across the state are working to ensure students are up to speed on their reading.
Some organizations in Central Arkansas are helping kids improve and get to the reading level they're supposed to be.
"We wanted to do it because we wanted to bridge that learning loss gap," Bryant Boys & Girls Club Literacy Coach Kelsey McCoy said.
According to the Public School Review, students lose about 2.5 months of math skills throughout summer break and see significant setbacks in their reading ability from the previous year's coursework.
Educators call it the "summer brain drain." On Friday, the Bryant Boys & Girls Club wrapped up its new seven-week summer reading program in partnership with Bryant Public Schools.
McCoy said she's seen the students' progress firsthand.
"They have more confidence in themselves within their program, McCoy said. "They have grown so much academically and personally."
According to the club, nearly 600 students from multiple schools participated, with 95% below the average reading level at the program's start.
Almost 20% of the students are now reading above their grade level.
"It shows that the program is working this summer," McCoy said.
AR Kids Read, a volunteer-based literacy organization, also reported positive results from its summer reading program.
"Last summer, we had 86% of our kids either maintained or even increased," AR Kids Read Executive Director Kathy French said. "14% of that number increased, so they grew. We were super pleased with that."
This comes when Arkansas educators push for reading readiness with the LEARNS Act.
The act states by the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, if a public school student has not met the third-grade reading standard, as defined by the state board, or the student does not have a good-cause exemption, the student shall not be promoted to fourth grade.
According to the most recent ACT Aspire results, third-grade reading scores dropped from 35% of students reading at or above their level in 2022 to 32% in 2023.
"Grade-level reading is critically important," French said.
That's why French said she will keep working to help kids get where they need to be.
"Everybody piling on as a community to support our students is the name of the game," French said.
Click here to learn more about the Arkansas LEARNS Act, which goes into effect on Aug. 1.