This week, we closed out March as National Reading Month, a time designed to celebrate the benefits of reading. Across the country, schools invited celebrities to do read-alouds to our kids, decorated classroom doors with our favorite characters and touted the joys of reading. I believe this is right, as joy should be centered in literacy.
On its own, though, enthusiasm is no longer enough to get our kids reading. I invite us to reflect on our position as a state often touted in the top three for educational outcomes for students — and one where less than half of 8- and 9-year-olds are reading and comprehending at grade level.
We can’t nurture a child’s love of reading if we don’t first ensure they can read.
Credit: (Courtesy of Tahina Perez)The right to read is essential to individual and community transformation. A child reading at grade level by third grade is four times more likely to graduate high school and six times more likely to attend college, and projected to gain $250,000 more in earnings in their lifetime, according to research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
I’ve been fortunate to witness widespread transformation in student performance and teacher empowerment. I know that it’s not just possible — it’s within our power to achieve.
March is also known for March Madness where we get to witness young athletes at the pinnacle of performance. What lessons from the disciplined approach to the game might we apply to this moment? You can want to win, but you need the willingness to work to win.
New Jersey must invest the time, commit to the goal, learn through failures and get back up again. Here are five ways we can get New Jersey’s kids reading at grade level.
Update the playbook
The best playbooks are ones that grow, evolve and respond to what’s directly in front of them. For years, we pushed word/picture matching, “logic-based” guessing and instilling a love for reading as the foundations of early literacy. But as we tap into the science of how the human body works, we see how the brain learns best.
Research-based literacy instruction comes from decades of insights on how children learn to read. It shows that
students learn best when teachers explicitly teach letter sounds, word patterns and how language works. When educators use these methods — and apply their professional judgment to meet students’ needs — far more children become strong readers.
Recruit the coach
The New Jersey Legacy of Literacy Coalition was pivotal to former Gov. Phil Murphy’s signing aliteracy bill package that called for a series of initiatives to boost student achievement in reading. We must now move onto swift implementation. We know the best plays. Our educators need proper training, support and conditioning to execute them.
A literacy coach in every school can support the use of proven literacy practices so that educators can grow, learn and teach with an expert guiding them. The most successful instances of instruction’s leading to higher literacy rates are those where teachers received training, coaching and support. We show care and respect for our teaching workforce when we invest in its growth and development.
Bring in the backup
Each child learns differently. Some children will need added support and it’s our job to find solutions for all kids.
High-dosage tutoring as a strategy provides us with a strong bench to pull from for assistance. Such initiatives across the nation have proven to be a game-changer for children, helping them to catch up in math and literacy.
In one study, such tutoring was shown to increase student learning by up to 10 months. Teach For America’s Ignite tutoring program has helped thousands of students make noticeable headway in the six years since its launch. Just this past year, students participating in Ignite in New Jersey collectively received 2,800 hours of additional reading and math learning.
Multiple quality tutoring options are available. Backing them with long-term funding through the state budget,
as proposed by Gov. Mikie Sherill, is exactly what we need. We must be nimble to meet the needs of our multiple learners, and I’m confident that New Jersey has what it takes to meet this moment.
Rally the fans
We absolutely cannot win without community will. In places like Newark and Camden, local efforts and professional learning communities are taking flight and carrying students to new heights.
My own son’s reading challenges brought it home for me. He has to win. We have to win.
Consider Newark’s 10 Point Literacy plan, launched by Mayor Ras Baraka, the Newark Reads Literacy Coalition and My Brother’s Keeper’s Early Literacy Coalition, all creating literacy ecosystems where families, educators and community partners can thrive. In Camden, leaders across charter, district and renaissance schools are coming together to learn and build together.
Make it personal
I am a former teacher and a mom parenting a struggling reader. My time in the classroom hardwired me to care deeply about this issue and want to be part of the change. My own son’s reading challenges brought it home for me. He has to win. We have to win.
What will make this personal for you? When it’s personal for you, your orientation to winning changes. Fueled by our
experiences and personal stories, we will link arms, throw our stones and overcome the giant.
Our kids are inherently brilliant. It’s our collective responsibility to help them shine as brightly as possible, and literacy is central to their success. This thing is ours to win! It’s our Super Bowl, our World Cup, our Olympics — and we will emerge victorious.
