Socioeconomic Status, English Proficiency, and Late-Emerging Reading Difficulties

Educators have growing concerns about students who learn to read proficiently by third grade but fall behind in later grades. This study investigates the prevalence of “late-emerging” reading difficulties among English language learners (ELLs) and native English speakers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, using longitudinal data on a nationally representative sample of U.S. students. Results indicate that substantial proportions of both groups develop difficulties during the upper elementary and middle school grades. ELLs and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are at significantly elevated risk for late-emerging difficulties; ELLs and non-ELLs from similar socioeconomic backgrounds are at similar risk.