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Far too many students struggle with reading, with scores dropping in both fourth and eighth grades, and one-third of eighth graders not reading at basic levels. Schools must implement early literacy development quickly if they’re to get ahead of the ongoing literacy crisis.

During the edLeader Panel “Early Literacy Success With High-Frequency Formative Assessment: Big Gains, Short Cycles,” Dr. Lisa Micou, Senior Assessment Strategist at Riverside Insights, spoke with Jake Daggett, School Foundational Literacy Director, Dr. Holly Ehle, Teacher, Science of Reading Specialist, and Literacy Professor, and Dr. Gabrielle Rodriguez, District Superintendent and Owner of Becoming ME Enterprises, LLC, about using quick, repeating assessments with instant data to ensure literacy success.

An Instructional Shift

Research shows that the way reading has been taught is not working because it doesn’t match how children’s brains actually learn; therefore, there must be a shift in instructional practices.

The Science of Reading is crucial to early literacy development because it addresses how students actually learn, but not all teachers know how to teach in accordance with it. Administrators must look at their staff and identify how they will best learn how to shift to new methods of teaching aligned with the Science of Reading.

High-quality implementation of early literacy development demands a sense of urgency, starting with professional development. Educators need to learn to use tools that provide immediate feedback in order to track student progress. And, administrators must help teachers build data literacy so they can understand the assessment feedback that they’re looking at and adjust lessons accordingly.

The Importance of Immediate, Actionable Data

Assessments are crucial, but state tests take too long to provide useful feedback, and teachers need immediate data. Research shows that educators need effective assessment plans to quickly see where students are succeeding and struggling so they can provide support right away.

Assessments don’t have to be traditional tests, though. They can consist of small group tasks, for example. There are systems (ESGI is one example) that already come with quick assessments and data-analysis tools that reduce the time teachers spend on prep and allow them to spend more time tracking progress and helping students.

Targeted early literacy skill data is valuable for teachers because it’s something that can be acted upon in a timely manner. Giving teachers user-friendly tools that gather data almost instantly lets them teach students according to their individual needs.

No longer having to rely on data that takes far too long for useful feedback, teachers can identify exactly where students struggle and thrive and even provide families with ways to support students at home. This lets everyone see student success, driving motivation for all.

Simple, actionable early literacy data lets educators group students based on their needed skills and move them around as needed. Ongoing weekly assessments provide instant data that teachers can use to organize skill groups and teach at appropriate levels.

The assessments can also give students a challenge that they feel they can succeed at, driving further engagement. Educators feel empowered by this sort of system because there’s a sense of vision, leadership has made this a priority, and there’s clear student progress.

Systemwide changes such as these can be difficult. It’s important to emphasize that the literacy crisis brings with it an urgency that can’t be ignored, and it requires diving into initiatives so students don’t miss out on what they need.

Literacy success requires immediate, actionable data. Educators must have user-friendly tools to help them gather, understand, and act upon data immediately. This immediate feedback is what helps students quickly grow their literacy skills from an early age, closes literacy gaps, and empowers students and teachers alike.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Early Literacy Success With High-Frequency Formative Assessment: Big Gains, Short Cycles, sponsored by ESGI: A Riverside Insights Solution.

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Teaching Reading and Writing is a free professional learning community that provides a place where educators can collaborate on literacy instruction.

ESGI is the only progress monitoring system built to support foundational skill development from Pre-K through 2nd Grade. Its customizable, easy-to-use platform allows teachers to quickly collect, track, and analyze student data to guide instruction, while administrators gain real-time, districtwide visibility into student progress. With just a few clicks, educators can generate individualized parent letters in each student’s home language and clear, easy-to-read report cards—strengthening family connections and keeping parents engaged. ESGI turns data into action, helping educators close skill gaps and accelerate learning outcomes.

Article by Jon Scanlon, based on this edLeader Panel