Closing the Reading Gap in Grades 4+: What Works, What Matters
It’s never too late for a child to learn to read well. I’ve seen Grade 4 students make remarkable progress in reading when they finally get the explicit instruction they need. But by this stage, every week counts.
Many students arrive in Grade 4 still missing the foundational skills of reading taught in Kindergarten through Grade 2. They haven’t fully mastered phonics patterns, the differences between short and long vowel sounds, or even some basic sound-symbol relationships. Without these skills, reading stays slow and frustrating, and students miss out on the steady practice that builds fluency and comprehension.
As teachers prepare their classrooms for September, creating a sense of belonging is always central. Literacy is deeply connected to that goal—every student deserves access to novels, to content-rich texts in science and social studies, to mathematical word problems, and to the joy of reading on their own. When students lack the skills to fully participate, they risk internalizing the idea that they ‘just aren’t good at school.’ That belief can be more limiting than the decoding challenges themselves, and this is the core reason for our mission as reading teachers with The Reading Specialists.
Explicit Phonics in the Junior Grades
Explicit, systematic phonics instruction has a powerful effect on decoding ability, no matter the grade. These important reading teaching techniques support older students who missed these lessons the first time around or who didn’t get sufficient opportunity to apply their new skills, would benefit greatly from clear, direct teaching.
Instead of hoping students “pick it up” through more exposure to text, we teach them the code — step-by-step, with plenty of practice. When they start to decode with ease, everything changes. Reading becomes faster, more accurate, and, most importantly, more enjoyable.
A Plan that Works
When students reach the junior grades with significant gaps in phonics, it can be difficult to know where to start A few quick, targeted assessments can pinpoint the specific skills each student needs. Then it’s about building small-group time into your week — short, focused lessons, 10–15 minutes each, several times a week. . A clear weekly structure can make instruction more manageable while ensuring the essentials are covered. The framework below outlines classroom routines for intervention—such as cumulative review, word building activities and targeted practice—that provide repeated exposure to foundational skills without overwhelming the flow of the day.
Even in the junior grades, focused routines can rebuild the foundation students need to grow as readers. With a clear structure in place, every small step adds up to lasting progress.
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