South Dakota
South Dakota schools are working to drive literacy rates back up
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) – South Dakota ranks 11th in the nation in literacy rates; that high ranking may not last. Post-pandemic, rates continue to drop.
According to the National Literacy Institute, illiteracy has become so prevalent that 130 million Americans cannot read a simple story to their children. Reading is the backbone of anything that you want to do in life. Kids who struggle to read not only fall behind in school but can also fall behind emotionally and socially as well.
“So, if you’re not reading well, you start to look around and think ‘Why is this so hard for me when that person over there, my friend, is done way ahead of me.’ So, then it starts to really work on a child’s sense of who they are,” says Coralee Alley, a school psychologist.
Kids who continue to struggle will eventually find other ways to survive, which can cause disturbances and anxious behavior.
“A lot of times when reading is a struggle day after day, about middle school, you can start to see, or earlier, some really more interfering behaviors,” Alley continues.
South Dakota maintains a high national reading average but after the pandemic, schools have noticed a steady drop in reading rates. Now, kids reading at basic levels are seen reading at below-basic levels.
To combat this, kids are now getting ahead by starting to read earlier.
“We start with early literacy, and we offer story times that engage the kids with songs, puppets, and a variety of stories with various themes. We also offer reading initiatives where it motivates kids to read at home and we make these custom tracking charts like a thousand books before kindergarten. Summer and winter reading, and they get proud tracking their accomplishments and turning them in for prizes, Laurinda Tapper from the Rapid City Public Library explains.
There are 5 major steps kids should take when it comes to mastering reading: language development, comprehension, phonemic awareness, phonics, and application
A major way to help your child get better at reading is simply by reading to them. Having physical books in the area can impact a child’s reading ability.
“Kids model behavior, right? They model their peers’ behavior; they model the adults’. Kids who live in homes where books are laid out say they see people reading, are like 60% more likely to be a good reader as they get older,” Alley concludes.
It is important to know what is behind the child’s difficulty, to take the right steps to get them into reading.
“The most important thing besides finding what interests them is to read at the right level. So, if they are reading something too easy, they are not going to grow in their literacy, but if they read something too difficult it’s going to discourage reading,” says Tapper.
House Bill 1022 would provide the South Dakota Department of Education with $6 million for a four-year statewide teacher training effort in the science of reading (SOR), an intensive approach to reading instruction at the elementary level that relies in part on phonics, or using sounds within words rather than letters to help children read.
Copyright 2024 KEVN. All rights reserved.
google-site-verification: google9919194f75dd62c5.html
The South Dakota State baseball team is fighting for its season today against Arizona State in the Lincoln Regional. The game is set for 2 p.m.
The No. 4 Jackrabbits (24-32) lost 4-1 to No. 1 Nebraska in the opening game. No. 3 Arizona State lost a 706 heartbreaker to No. 2 Ole Miss in the opening round in 14 innings. The game took nearly 5.5 hours and ended around 1:20 a.m.
Here’s how to watch South Dakota State’s win-or-go-home game.
Watch South Dakota State baseball vs … on ESPN+
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State baseball stream, radio
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: KJJQ 910 AM
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State time today
- Date: Saturday, May 30
- Time: 2 p.m. CT
- Location: Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska
South Dakota State vs. Arizona State prediction
Paul Cifonelli, Argus Leader: This was always a tough draw for South Dakota State, as I thought this was the toughest regional in the country. At worst it’s the third toughest, with Chapel Hill and College Station in contention.
The Jackrabbits do have an advantage since Arizona State and Ole Miss went at it until after 1 a.m. Both teams stressed their pitching staffs, and every at bat required intense focus. The problem is South Dakota State doesn’t have the same top-end pitching these other teams do.
If Drew McDowell pitches, the Jacks might have a shot here. Otherwise they’ll have to win a slugfest, and I just don’t like those odds.
Prediction: Arizona State 8, South Dakota State 3
MISSION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – In rural South Dakota, miles often separate expectant mothers from healthcare.
“A lot of women out here are left without any maternity care options,” said Rachel Kocak.
In Mission, moms mark their due dates and calculate miles to the nearest delivery location. Rachel Kocak, expecting her third child, said one option just closed.
“We used to have a birthing unit, I think up until a couple of months ago, and they lost their OB. So, Winner is no longer delivering babies,” Rachel said.
Some mothers remember when they could reach the hospital within a five-minute drive.
“IHS, for tribal members, they don’t deliver babies out here or provide prenatal care,” Rachel explained.
Families hope to reach the hospital before the baby arrives.
“So women either have to drive to Valentine, which is about 30 to 35 minutes from Mission, they can go to Wanblee, which is on the Pine Ridge Reservation, or they have to go to Pierre, Rapid City, or Sioux Falls,” Rachel said.
And if the roads are bad.
“I think there are a lot of babies who are unintentionally born at home. So it’s a tough place, I think, for mothers,” Rachel said.
The March of Dimes breaks down government data, showing a large portion of rural South Dakota as a maternity care desert, requiring travel of 38 or more minutes to reach an appointment or delivery room. The infant mortality rate is higher among native American babies born, compared to other races.
Health Department maps show counties in medium blue have 56 infant deaths per 100,000 births. Dark blue counties have three times as many. Grants aim to increase the number of healthcare workers, and funding supports a doula workforce program.
Kocak would like to see doulas and midwives available.
“Great opportunity for anyone who wants to become a home-birth midwife out here. The birth rate is still, I’m not sure what it is, but it’s high. There’s still a growing young population, and just not enough people to help deliver the babies,” Rachel said.
If care were closer, the outcomes could be brighter.
“You know, having the support network can make a huge change in the lives of these young, you know, these babies and young mothers who are building new families,” Rachel said.
The South Dakota Department of Health released a statement to Dakota News Now, which can be read in full below.
The South Dakota Maternal and Infant Health Task Force was created in 2025 to bring partners together to help improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and infants across the state. Their 5-year strategic plan was recently released, which has three priority areas: postpartum care to improve maternal health; safe sleep education and prevention strategies to protect infant health; and systems of care work that improves access, coordination, and quality of care statewide. One of the strategic plan activities that is supported by Rural Health Transformation is the creation of Regional Maternal and Infant Health Hubs, which will create a hub-and-spoke network connecting hospitals, clinics, tribal health services, and community organizations. These hubs will improve care coordination, strengthen referral pathways, and expand access to services for families in rural and tribal communities.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoMotorcyclist killed by hit-and-run truck driver in Sun Valley
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoClear skies give Metro Detroit perfect Blue Moon viewing weather
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoH-E-B files construction permit for Dallas location, next step towards 2028 open
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours ago18-year-old dies in crash on I-80 near SoMa district
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoLive Updates from Florida Gators vs. Miami Hurricanes in Gainesville Regional
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoPolice Blotter: Cambridge meth chemist sentenced to prison; Boston firefighters make high-flying save
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoColorado outdoor spirit, music comes to downtown Denver
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoMild weekend weather in Seattle before 80s return
