New Lexia Data Highlights the Importance of Speaking Practice for Students Learning English
Students spent 59% of their program time on listening, speaking and language development activities, while two in five
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As K–12 schools serve a growing population of English learners, new 2025–26 data from Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, highlight the role academic conversation can play in helping emergent bilingual students develop the English language skills they need to participate confidently in classroom learning.
The English learner population in U.S. public schools has grown by nearly 1 million students over the past decade. New data from the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) show that more than 5.8 million English learners now represent 12% of U.S. K–12 public school enrollment, up from just over 9% in the 2012–13 school year.
As districts work to meet the needs of this growing student population, providing students with regular opportunities to practice speaking English is increasingly important. New Lexia data show measurable progress among K–6 students using Lexia English Language Development.
Among 29,722 K–6 U.S. students who met recommended usage, two in five moved up at least one proficiency band within their respective language standard in the program during the school year. Students also completed an average of 183 units focused on speaking, listening and grammar and 28 Presentations of Knowledge.
These findings build on previous research showing that students using Lexia English achieved greater gains in English language proficiency than students who did not use the program, including stronger performance on assessments of speaking skills.
Academic conversation was a significant part of that learning experience. Through Lexia English’s interactive speaking activities, students practice academic English with the program’s speech recognition technology, which provides targeted feedback to support language development. Across all Lexia English users during the 2025–26 school year, students completed approximately 4.2 million of these in-program academic conversations, totaling more than 340,000 hours. Students spent 59% of their time in the program engaged in these conversations, providing repeated opportunities to listen, speak and use academic English.
“Students learning English need opportunities to actually use the language, not just study it,” said Shawn Clark, interim president of Lexia. “That’s why we designed Lexia English to make conversation a central part of the learning experience. During the past school year, students spent nearly 60% of their time in the program practicing conversations—listening, speaking and explaining what they know. That kind of consistent practice is essential to helping students develop the language skills and confidence they need to participate fully in the classroom.”
During the 2025–26 school year, Lexia English served approximately 118,200 students across 5,800 schools. Designed for emergent bilingual students in grades K–6, Lexia English integrates speaking, listening and grammar in an academic context and is designed to support and align with multiple English language proficiency standards.
For districts serving growing populations of English learners, the results underscore the importance of creating consistent opportunities for students to practice academic English—not only learning about language, but using it to communicate, participate in classroom learning and demonstrate what they know. Additional findings from the Lexia English annual results, including student progress, academic conversations and program usage, are available at this link.
About the 2025–26 Data
The Lexia English results are based on 29,722 K–6 students in the United States who used the program for at least 10 weeks and met recommended usage—an average of at least 30 minutes per week for students in grades K–2 and at least 45 minutes per week for students in grades 3–6. The data were compiled and analyzed by the Lexia Research Team.
About Lexia
Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, is transforming literacy education, driving change in 1 of every 3 school districts across the United States. For more than 40 years, Lexia has been a thought leader in literacy education, delivering award-winning, research-based solutions grounded in the science of reading. With a full spectrum of offerings, including professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment tools, Lexia provides educators with Structured Literacy solutions that are proven effective and designed to drive meaningful literacy outcomes. By empowering educators with unparalleled ease of use and the knowledge and tools they need, Lexia helps more students unlock their potential to read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit lexialearning.com.
About Cambium Learning Group
Cambium Learning Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 educators and students. With an intentional collection of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader, helping millions of educators and students feel more seen, valued, and supported every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now.
To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. The Cambium family of brands includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia, Learning A-Z, ExploreLearning, and Time4Learning.
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