When I was younger, I fell in love with my school’s yearly book fairs. So many categories of books appealed to me — from action to nonfiction to books with characters that turned into 3D shapes when you turned the page. But one book stood out to me: The Dork Diaries. It was the first time I saw a character who navigated her pre-teen years as a “dork.” Like me, she felt awkward, unsure of herself, and overwhelmed by school and friendships. Reading about her worries, triumphs, and embarrassing moments made my own feel less isolating. I remember laughing at her attempts to talk to her crush and quietly tearing up because I could picture myself in her shoes. That’s when I realized that books weren’t just entertainment; they were a shared experience and a way to navigate emotions I didn’t yet know how to express.

Children who are frequent readers are more likely than those who are infrequent readers to feel “proud” and “excited,” which are barometers of mental health. Frequent readers are also more resilient and less likely than infrequent readers to report that they felt nervous or anxious, sad or depressed, and lonely

But what if I hadn’t been able to read? What if the words on the page felt like an impossible puzzle instead of a safe place for exploration? Reading is undeniably an academic aim — but it’s a social-emotional one, too.

Reading & Social-Emotional Learning Are Interconnected

Reading is a powerful tool to help children process their own experiences and emotions, boost self-esteem, increase empathy, inspire critical thinking, and mitigate anxiety and depression.

However, children who struggle with reading tend to read significantly less. As a result, they may miss out on opportunities to boost their mental health through reading. Survey results show that children who are frequent readers are more likely than those who are infrequent readers to feel “proud” and “excited,” which are barometers of mental health. Frequent readers are also more resilient and less likely than infrequent readers to report that they felt nervous or anxious, sad or depressed, and lonely.

Research suggests that the relationship between childhood literacy and mental health is a lifelong connection that extends into adulthood. Importantly, a strong research base also notes that learning environments and instruction that attend to students’ social and emotional development and well-being are integral to their literacy development. For instance, students form perceptions about themselves as growing readers. Classroom instruction and environments that help students form a “growth mindset” and understand their personal strengths and areas of growth in reading build students’ self-awareness skills, a core social-emotional competency, and simultaneously support their academic progress.

Third Grade Retention Policies Undermine Students’ Mental Health

Unfortunately, at least 13 states have a third grade reading-retention policy that requires students who don’t meet proficiency standards to repeat the grade. These retention policies are counterproductive and may do more harm than good, as they undermine students’ social and emotional development and may give way to increased feelings of shame and alienation among peers. Students also my grapple with lower self-esteem and heightened anxiety.

This is a clear equity concern, as these policies disproportionality impact students of color and students from low-income backgrounds: For example, Michigan’s third grade retention law, which has since been repealed, didn’t affect all students equally. Black students and students from low-income backgrounds were respectively 2 and 3 percentage points more likely to be held back than their white and wealthier peers who scored similarly on state tests.

Instituting third grade retention policies is not an effective way to support students’ literacy development and social-emotional development. Instead, state policies should focus on equipping all schools with the resources needed to deliver rigorous, evidence-aligned reading instruction that reflects students’ identities and interests. It also means building educators’ capacity through professional learning to deliver strong instruction and create classrooms where all students feel supported in their reading progress.

Cultivating a Love of Reading

Supporting students’ literacy development and mental health go hand in hand. When schools equip students to become skilled, engaged readers in a positive learning environment, they not only enhance students’ educational experiences but also create a lifelong foundation for understanding themselves and others. Just as book fairs, The Dork Diaries, and countless other books once sparked my love of reading and opened a world of understanding for me, we have the power to do that for every child by supporting their social-emotional needs alongside their reading instruction.

Ja’Niya Baptiste is former P-12 intern at EdTrust.

To foster a greater diversity of voices, EdTrust publishes guest bloggers. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EdTrust.

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