Monfredo: Number One Priority - Reading on Grade Level by End of Grade 3

Saturday, April 13, 2019

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER

Children across the nation, including students in Worcester who get into the fourth grade without learning to read proficiently according to researchers put them on the high school dropout track. The ability to read on grade level by the end of grade three has to be THE TOP PRIORTY for any school system.

As a district researchers point out that schools need to focus on school readiness, school attendance, summer learning, family support, and high-quality teaching. The period from pre-school (which many students do not attend) and third grade is an essential time in a child’s voyage from learning to read to reading to learn. Many researchers point out that not reading proficiently by end the of grade three puts students at a disadvantage and makes them four times less likely to graduate from high school on time. In addition, those children living in poverty have a much higher percentage of not graduating on time.

Since my days as principal of Belmont Community School I have advocated for full day pre-school programs. At one point, in the 1990’s, we did have a full day pre-school program for about three years at Belmont Community School and just about every child in the pre-school program was reading on grade level by the end of grade three. My first-grade teachers would comment, “I know what children went through the pre-school program for they are ready to read.” It’s all about PREVENTION and that’s where the state funding needs to be placed. We need to assist our youngest learners early on and work in partnership with their parents for our children to succeed.

So, what else needs to be considered? We need to look very closely at other measures of prevention … including summer courses for our most vulnerable learners. According to research, summer learning impacts low-income students the most. Children not engaged in learning during summer can lose up to two months of academic growth. Known as the “summer slide,” the impact on our early learners adds to the list of reasons why they are not reading on grade level by the end of Grade 3. Can we recruit those children in grades 1 and 2 who are having difficulty reading to be part of a summer school program? Can we place the needed funding for summer school in grades 1 and 2?

Also, let’s have a reading intervention plan throughout the year for those in need and coordinate the learning process with a student’s family. In addition, families must be sure that children are present at school because if they are not there they can’t learn.

I would further suggest that more be done with our Books for Babies” program in Worcester. The “Books for Babies” program is where every newborn in Worcester has a visitor come to the hospital and deliver a book to mom and baby. However, it’s now time to take the next step in the program. Let’s work on training volunteers or use our capable school nurses to visit the home of the newborn a month or two later with another book and information on the importance of reading to the child.

We need to reach out to these families and encourage moms early on to read to their newborn. Parents need to instill the language and vocabulary skills that lead to reading later on. Parents need to foster an understanding of print by talking to their toddler, pointing out signs in their environment, and, of course, reading to their child each and every day. The best bargain in our city is the Worcester Public Library. If you need books, visit the library or call me at 508-853-3444, and I’ll get you books for the home. In addition, parents need to be role models. Read yourself and read to your child.

As is currently taking place within our system, we need to continue to train our primary-grade teachers in the teaching of reading by utilizing best practices and trying to have a low teacher-pupil ratio. If we had the funding, I’d go a step further and bring back, as we had years ago, a trained reading department manned by skillful reading teachers to work with our primary grade teachers and students throughout the school year. Yes, it would be a budget item.

We also need to place a trained instructional assistant in every kindergarten classroom (a recommendation I make each year, but we always lack the funding). This all about PREVENTION! In addition, more and more emphasis within the schools needs to be placed on making parents partners in the learning process and encouraging them to be part of the solution. Parents need to be reinforced by social agencies and the inner-faith groups on how to assist their child at home. Wouldn’t be great if the community composed of social agencies and inner-faith groups worked with our parents in assisting their children outside of school?

Remember, the Nation’s goals of 1990… a promise that all children by 2000 would start school ready to learn. However, where was the funding to make it happen? If we truly want to assist our most vulnerable children we need the funding to make it work.

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Monfredo: Number One Priority - Reading on Grade Level by End of Grade 3

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