Today, parents, educators, the business leaders, and communities are concerned about educational achievement, graduation rates, and the quality of work readiness of our students. Educational assessments keep showing that many of our students are not reading at grade level and/or cannot communicate by means of the written word. The other day I heard someone say that there were 12th graders at their school that were reading at an elementary grade level! Someone else in the group asked: "What? How can that be? How could that happen?" The point is: it is happening more than we know or could wish to know!
The solutions are pretty basic: "it really DOES take a village..to raise a reader!" Without mastering the basic literacy skills of reading and writing at each level of their development, students will have a very rough time moving on successfully through the educational system. The research is clear that a child who is not reading at grade level in the fourth grade is four times less likely to graduate on time. A child who is a member of a minority group and is not reading at grade level in the fourth grade is seven times less likely to graduate on time! That is not only compelling but scary. Poor readers are frustrated because they cannot keep up with their school work nor do they understand many of the assignments. They keep getting further and further behind. Take at look at the web site of the Grade Level Reading Campaign and find all the statistics you need - at http:/gradelevelreading.net/ .
How can you help? Provide print materials at home - books, magazines, the daily newspaper. Read out loud to young children to help stir their imagination and develop listening and comprehension skills. Provide art materials like scissors, construction paper, glue, markers, crayons, drawing paper, and other items to help children "draw" their reaction to a story that was read to them. Encourage regular trips to the library and get library cards for the family. If transportation is an issue, participate as a family in family literacy events at your child's school or in the community. Read together as a family and discuss the story or book read. Involve the family in an activity where each family member will develop a story by completing a sentence prompt like: "The two cats watched each other from opposite sides of the street when suddenly________".
Each family member will develop their short story in writing and adding illustrations and then share their story with everyone else.
You know...you can bring the latest technology to your school. You can send teachers to professional development training learning the latest techniques for engaging students in the learning process. You can spend millions of dollars on external "things.' but if the students cannot read or write they will not achieve.
