We haven’t been able to take our eyes off of the story
out of Ohio showing that a third of the state’s third-graders failed the state
reading test this past fall–a story that came out just as the nation learned
that 16 other countries scored higher on reading in PISA.
This isn’t just an appalling coincidence.
Reading failure is a national epidemic. Three out of ten
children never learn to read. And one of the biggest reasons for the high rate
of reading failure is that most teachers never get trained in effective methods
in reading instruction. This is a huge
disservice to future teachers and the children they will teach. Reading is the
gateway to all other learning–ensuring our teachers are prepared is our best
defense against a child falling behind academically for years to come.
Over a decade ago, the National Reading Panel systematically
reviewed thousands of studies and identified five core components of reading
instruction: phonemic awareness,
phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
In our review
of over 600 elementary teacher preparation
were teaching these reading fundamentals. Rather than train teachers in the
proven skills they need, programs often encourage teachers to develop their own
philosophy of reading.
We can reduce the rate of reading failure to less than one
in ten kids simply by giving teachers the skills they need. That’s why we are
asking for your support to send a resounding message to
CAN TEACH THEM TO READ.
If you agree, please sign our petition,
and pass it along to your friends, family and colleagues.
