reading

For many in Michigan, the electric bill is an unaffordable expense. Today on Stateside, a reporter provided insight into the state's efforts to help, including details on a new approach — and who stands to benefit from it. Also on the show, a young adult author joined us to discuss his debut novel, which tells the story of two young people and the mystery they aim to unravel.

Unscathed by pandemic-era school closures, the nation's 9-year-olds showed progress in math and reading. It's a different story for 13-year-olds, however.

The law was repealed a couple of years ago while the legislature was under Democratic control. It required kids to read proficiently by third grade, or face being held back in school.

Michigan's reading scores have failed to recover from the pandemic and are falling behind other states. The governor's Every Child Reads Champions Council will be made up of people with backgrounds in education, community organizing, and business.

Reading text of a book while listening to the audiobook is gaining steam among online book communities.

The governor is calling for $625 million to support literacy efforts in her budget proposal. That money is meant for buying new learning materials, hiring more tutors, and training teachers.

For decades, parents were told to help children build willpower like a muscle, to resist things like junk food and too much time on their screens. But new research suggests a better strategy.

“Our mission is as big as it is simple: Every child reads,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Not some, not most. Every child reads.”

Volunteers with the LiTEArary society read to children who live in "book deserts" and bring them their own books.

New 2025 testing data shows third- through eighth-graders scored far below 2019 levels in reading. In math, some grades have made gains, but all are lagging compared to before the pandemic.