The Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington, D.C.-based education advocacy group, recently published a new report that found 60 percent of America's fourth and eighth graders are having reading issues. The group is urging the Congress to consider improving student literacy, from early childhood through grade 12, on its No Child Left Behind rewrite.
Like Us on Facebook "Teaching students to read when they are young is an important booster shot, but not a lifelong inoculation, against further reading problems," said Bob Wise, the organization's president. "Instead, students need continued reading and writing support throughout their educational career-especially as they encounter more challenging reading material in middle and high school."
Wise, however, said only few states offer this continued support and this resulted in the majority of today's youth leaving high school without the necessary writing and reading skills for success.
The study, "The Next Chapter: Supporting Literacy Within ESEA," determined the reasons why students have difficulty reading and examined the federal government's success in its efforts to boost literacy across the country. In addition, the group noted on the report that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was not meant to address issues arising from poor reading instruction or provide support for students in schools with poor literacy achievement.
The report also maintained that majority of those issues affect students of color, and those from low-income households, Kristin Decarr of Education News wrote. The 2013 National Assessment of Education Progress, also called the Nation's Report Card, revealed 47 percent of Latino students, 47 percent of low-income students, and 50 percent of black students have reading skills below the basic level.
"Without essential literacy skills to master academic course work, students lose the motivation and confidence vital to maintaining their investment in learning," the group noted in the report. "Furthermore, students who do not read well are more likely to be retained in school, drop out of high school, become teen parents, or enter the juvenile justice system."
The group suggested government efforts, including the Literacy Education for All, Result for a Nation Act that would require educators and teachers to use research-backed strategies in their reading and writing classes in all grade levels and subject areas. It also recommended support and interventions for students with reading issues, and support for schools to help them provide high-quality literacy instruction.
