#33 for Literacy: Michigan Children are Beginning to Fall into the ‘iPad Kid’ Trend

Photo by Karola G

Article courtesy of CustomWritings

• Michigan is the 33rd most literate state, with a reading score of 255.06.
• Massachusetts leads the nation in both math and reading levels, with eighth-grade reading scores 4.4% above the national average.
• New Mexico ranks as the worst state for reading proficiency among eighth graders, with reading levels being 4.5% below the national average.

A new study has revealed where illiteracy is at its lowest and highest among American children.

A new study by CustomWritings has identified the states where students are most and least at risk of becoming “iPad kids” – children with underdeveloped reading and math skills who are overly dependent on technology. The study analyzed data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to determine which states have the lowest performance in academic proficiency. The reading and math levels of eighth-grade students were compared across the country to see which states are falling behind the most.

Michigan Findings

Michigan places 33rd with a reading score of 255.06 and a -0.6% comparison to the national average. With a strong 22.0% improvement rate, students are making notable progress. However, long-term academic challenges still affect the state’s overall standing.

The states with the worst reading proficiency

The research findings show that New Mexico has the poorest reading proficiency rates in the country, with eighth-grade reading scores 4.5% below the national average.

Alaska ranks second-worst for reading proficiency, with eighth-grade scores 4.0% below the national average despite having the second-highest improvement rate from fourth to eighth grade at 22.3%. This indicates that while growth is occurring, students in Alaska are starting from an extremely low level.

West Virginia places third from the bottom with reading scores 3.6% below the national average. The state also ranks second-lowest in mathematics, with scores 4.2% below the national average, highlighting consistent challenges across subjects.

Oklahoma ranks fourth-lowest, with reading scores 3.1% below the national average. The data shows that Oklahoma students fall behind in both subjects, with math scores also 2.9% below the national average.

Delaware sits fifth from the bottom, with reading scores 2.8% below the national average. This east coast state has shown one of the lowest rates of improvement from fourth to eighth grade at just 19.1%.

Alabama ranks sixth from the bottom in reading proficiency, with scores 2.8% below the national average. The state also has one of the worst math improvement rates, with only a 10.8% increase from fourth to eighth grade – the second-lowest growth rate nationwide.

Texas, one of the nation’s most populous states, ranks seventh-lowest with reading scores 1.7% below the national average. Despite this poor performance, Texas actually performs above average in fourth-grade math scores.

Florida, often recognized for its educational reforms, ranks eighth-lowest in eighth-grade reading with scores 1.5% below the national average. More concerning is that Florida has the lowest improvement rate from fourth to eighth grade at just 9.8% for math and 15.9% for reading.

Nevada ranks ninth from the bottom, with reading scores 1.3% below the national average. The state’s ranking is particularly troubling given its rapidly growing population.

Mississippi rounds out the bottom ten with reading scores 1.2% below the national average, despite the state having relatively strong fourth-grade reading scores of 218.50, which are above the national average.

“These findings highlight a growing educational divide that could have long-term implications for America’s workforce and economy,” said Patric Johnson, head of CustomWritings Writing Center. “States with consistently low scores are producing generations of students who struggle with fundamental reading skills and may rely too heavily on technology as a crutch rather than a tool.”

“What’s particularly concerning is the low improvement rates we’re seeing in some states between fourth and eighth grade,” Johnson added. “This critical development period shapes lifelong learning habits, and when students fall behind during these years, catching up becomes increasingly difficult.”

Methodology

For each US state, the average NAEP Grade-4 and Grade-8 scores for mathematics and reading were retrieved from The Nation’s Report Card. This data was compared against the national average scores by calculating the percentage difference. The states were then ranked by this metric. Additional rankings were created to highlight the states with the highest increase in grades from grade 4 to grade 8, as well as a simple ranking of the states with the highest scores.