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Read by Third Grade or Stay Back
By Deborah Williams
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No one would argue against the fact that students need to read well in order to be successful in school and in life, and many educators acknowledge that third grade is the year when students should move from learning to read to reading to learn. Correspondent Tovia Smith reports in the article, “Schools Get Tough with Third Graders: Read or Flunk,” on the NPR show, All Things Considered, that several states have followed Florida’s lead by passing mandatory retention laws for students who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
Even though Florida’s third graders perform better than several states at the same grade level, many are not convinced that retention is beneficial to students. They point to the following reasons:
- Students are a year older, so it’s natural for them to perform better in grade four.
- It’s unkind to retain students; it’s better to provide resources such as tutoring over the next two years. Plus, that is a lot cheaper than spending an extra $10,000 to retain a student.
- Retention is traumatic for students, and those who were retained are more likely to become dropouts.
Proponents counter by saying, “This is not a ‘gotcha’ policy; it’s an ‘ensure-our-kids-are-ready-for-success’ policy,” says Hanna Skandera, New Mexico’s education secretary.
Topics: Education Policies and News | 1 Comment »
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I do not agree. Reading is one of the hardest tasks we require students to achieve. There are many variables that can cause delayed achievement. My son had vision problems that would correct itself sometime from the 4th to 8th grade. When his achievement test was read to him, he scored in the 80 to 98 %tile. Children develop at different rates. Vision is only one area to develop in order to read. It would be nice if all developed at the same rate. Also style of learning is not the same for all children. Often one way is taught. Sight may be better than phonics. Hearing need to be developed for phonics. The list goes on.