Springfield Doubles Reading Help, 72% of Kids Catch Up

When 90% of Springfield first graders started the school year more than a year behind in reading, their teachers knew they needed something different. By June, nearly three out of four had caught up.

The secret? Fifteen minutes of daily one-on-one tutoring that fit right into their school day.

Last year, Massachusetts gave Springfield schools a grant to try something new with struggling readers. Every day, trained tutors worked with the same children online, building relationships and tracking progress. The students rotated through different activities including small group work, independent learning, and their special tutoring time.

The results amazed everyone. Of those first graders who started far behind, 72% ended the year on grade level or close to it. Another 8% jumped ahead to early second grade reading. And 9% mastered second grade material completely and graduated from the program.

Now Springfield is putting its money where its success is. The school committee just approved spending $2.23 million to bring the program to 893 more children, mostly second graders who need help catching up.

Laura Mendes, the district's literacy director, calls it a "winning formula" when combined with regular classroom teaching. The state will continue funding tutoring for 750 students, meaning Springfield can now help 1,643 kids total.

The Ripple Effect

The new funding gives Springfield flexibility to help more children before they fall too far behind. If a kindergartener shows signs of struggle halfway through the year, teachers can now step in immediately instead of waiting. New students who transfer in can get help right away too.

The timing matters. Springfield became the first district in Massachusetts to offer universal preschool for 3 and 4 year olds back in 2022. Superintendent Sonia Dinnall wants those early investments to pay off with kids reading proficiently by second grade, a year earlier than the national standard.

The district still has work to do. While 60% of kindergarteners and first graders now read on grade level by year's end, that leaves 40% still catching up. Students with disabilities are making gains too, jumping from 25% to 37% reading proficiently.

But Mendes knows they're on the right track, and the data proves that catching kids early makes all the difference.