Cumulative Disadvantage: Differential Experiences of Students with Reading Difficulties

Although the measurement of student reading achievement has become more nuanced over the last seventy years, the national preoccupation and worry about, how well children read has persisted throughout the decades. However, the way educators, parents, and especially policymakers frame the issue—and through that, their response to the problem—has changed substantially from the 1960s to today. This chapter will explore how the issue of students with reading difficulties has been framed throughout the years and how that framing was influenced by policy.