Unveiling the urban-rural discrepancy: A comprehensive analysis of reading and writing development among Chinese elementary school students

Reading and writing are critical skills for children's development. However, little attention has been given to comparing literacy development trajectories between rural-urban settings in populous countries with vast geographical and socio-economic diversity like China. To comprehensively assess and unveil the urban-rural gap of literacy development in Chinese elementary students. 2625 students (1080 rural and 1545 urban) across grades 3 to 6 from Yizhou District, Hechi City and Liunan District, Liuzhou City, both located in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. A comprehensive scale evaluated participants’ literacy development across multiple dimensions. Urban-rural gaps were measured by overall performance, skill dimensions, error types, gender and ethnicity factors, and risk of literacy disorder. Urban students significantly outperformed rural students in overall literacy skills, especially in higher-level tasks. This gap widened with age, with rural sixth-graders lagging behind urban peers by at least two grades. Ethnic minority status showed a pronounced urban-rural disparity, significantly impacting rural students’ performance but not urban students. A higher proportion of high-risk children for literacy disorders was identified in rural areas (19.2 %) compared to urban areas (2.8 %) using a unified cutoff. Even with separate cutoffs, the rural rate (8.9 %) remained higher than the urban rate (8 %). High-risk rural students faced more enduring challenges, especially in higher grades, suggesting greater vulnerability to persistent literacy difficulties. This large-scale study reveals significant urban-rural disparities in Chinese elementary students’ literacy development which highlights targeted policy and interventions for promoting literacy education quality for Chinese children. • In-depth rural v. s. urban comparison of literacy development from 2625 3-to-6 graders in China. • Urban students outperformed the rural in overall literacy skills, especially on text level. • The gap widened with age (rural students lagging behind by 2 years at grade 6). • Ethnicity showed a more pronounced impact on reading skills in rural areas. • A greater risk of literacy disorders in rural areas, with more enduring challenges.