“The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading.”
David Bailey, British photographer
When the results of the state testing for reading skills of Mississippi’s third-graders were announced Friday, the general reaction was along the lines of “it could have been worse.”
In Lowndes County, 99 of 760 third-graders failed to read at grade-level. In Starkville, 55 students (16 percent) did not pass. In Oktibbeha County, 25 percent did not pass.
Under legislation passed last year, those students will not be allowed to advance to the fourth grade next fall unless they are able to achieve third-grade level.
There are two more testing opportunities for those students to achieve grade level in reading and be promoted before the school year begins in the fall.
At the behest of Gov. Phil Bryant, the Legislature passed the new legislation to end what is called “social promotion.”
Reading at grade level by third grade, experts say, is essential to a child’s academic success. The ability to read and comprehend the written word is the foundation on which all education rests. Those who read well are far more likely to succeed in all areas — including math and science — than those who struggle to read.
We also know exposure to reading at very early ages promotes a love of books and reading that will help prepare a child for formal reading education.
Often, the blame for poor reading skills is laid at the parent’s doorstep. While a home environment that promotes learning is the best investment that can be made in a child’s education, there are many children whose home lives offers little to no intellectual stimulation. It may be the parents’ fault, but it’s the child’s burden, and an unfair burden at that.
How we, as a society respond, is critical in those situations and we applaud the organizations in our community — the Columbus-Lowndes Library, the Boys and Girls clubs, et al — who offer reading programs to children who might otherwise not be exposed to the world of books as small children.
That is also why The Dispatch and its partners have implemented “Imagination Library” here in Lowndes County. The program provides, at no cost to the child or that child’s parents, an age-appropriate book to a child each month. In the 14 months since the program was initiated, 850 children have been enrolled.
We also believe one of the best strategies for addressing this issue is for a vigorous, state-funded Pre-K program that is available to every child in our state. The Legislature, as with most educational ideas that require funding, has been reluctant to embrace that goal, however.
While we affirm that a child must be able to read at grade-level by third grade, we strongly object to any means of achieving that essentially determines “winners” and “losers” at so early an age. It is far too early to give up on a child who fails to meet that standard. And, perhaps even more importantly, it is far too early for that child to give up on himself.
Our focus, then, must be directed on ensuring that every child has the opportunity, resources and encouragement needed to achieve the goal. Only when we have provided that will we see outcome we desire.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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