Reading levels for Indigenous students in SK continue to struggle

In an article for Regina Leader-Post, Jeremy Simes discusses the way that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted reading levels for children in Saskatchewan, with a particularly noticeable impact on Indigenous students. Simes writes that the Grade 3 reading level dropped in almost all divisions after the pandemic hit, and only saw a slight recovery in 2021-22. While overall, 69% of children in Grade 3 were reading at a grade 3 level or higher in 2021-22, only 52-55% of Indigenous and Métis students were reading at that level during that time frame. Regina Public Schools has noted that it is particularly concerned with Grade 3 reading results for its Indigenous and Métis students, and the Prairie Valley School Division also reported a large drop in reading levels among Indigenous students. “Hopefully, with this data, that shows the government that they will make it (more funding) important to them,” said Prairie Valley board chair Janet Kotylak. “The ministry has the evidence to see the levels aren’t what they need to be.”