Brazil reading proficiency lags behind OECD average

According to the latest cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), only 49% of 15-year-old students in Brazil have reached level 2 proficiency in reading. This level allows students to identify the main idea of moderate-length texts and locate information based on explicit criteria. This figure is significantly lower than the OECD average of 69%.

To address these challenges, educators emphasize the need to expand adolescent repertoires, deepen interpretation skills, and foster reading autonomy. Iara Cabral de Athayde Bertolani, director at Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro, suggests that reading habits must develop gradually through continuous contact with literature. She recommends establishing routines to ensure reading is not limited to school assignments and progressively introducing more challenging texts and diverse genres to match student maturity.