Pre K - 12 & PSRP Public Education Issues Platform

Comprehensive Reading Programs

The Issue

Language learning is holistic. A child's ability to read early and well is one of the strongest predictors of life-long success. Fostering a desire to read and establishing good reading skills early in a student's school career prevents chronic school failure and ultimately ends social promotion. Extensive research has been done to understand how children learn and process information along with indicators as to why many fail. This research has been translated into a number of successful teaching, learning and assessment techniques, supported with materials that help all children, including those who have been identified as having a disability, learn to read by the third grade. Furthermore, reading programs must be in place for higher elementary, middle and high school students who, for whatever reason, need such assistance.

Action Steps

To meet high achievement standards in reading, we urge elected officials to support:

• Professional Development: State funding for professional development, for administrators, teachers and paraprofessionals at all levels in researched-based reading instruction and assessment to determine how a student processes information to encourage progressive levels of proficiency;



• Smaller Class Size: State funding to provide for smaller class sizes, reading specialists and paraprofessionals;



• Pre-school & All-day Kindergarten: State funding for quality pre-school and allday kindergarten programs that can foster early literacy by early development of language, vocabulary and conceptual skills, as well as familiarizing all students with books fostering life-long readers and learners;



• Support Programs: State funding for before school, after school and summer programs and/or other quality support programs for students in all grades with reading difficulties or to enhance progress;



• Parent Involvement: State funding for methods training designed for parents to enable them to assist the students progress at home;



• Physical Conditions: School-entry screening programs that identify hearing, vision and other medical conditions that may impede student learning;



• Early Assessment: Research-based diagnostic assessments at entry level that are designed to promote early identification of students with language learning problems.

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