By Stefanie Rysdahl Fuhr
Many states insist that students read by third grade. If students have difficulties they might be retained. Students might master reading later. They should not be punished if they aren’t reading perfectly in third grade.
Last spring I sent this letter to my state legislators. Feel free to use it as a template for your legislators.
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Dear Senator XXXXX OR Representative XXXXX,
As a constituent, I urge you to repeal Read Well by 3rd Grade legislation. This law is forcing children to read in kindergarten and to be tested on some arbitrary level using inappropriate and even false reading assessments. This is hurting the children who are our future leaders. Everyone can recognize the absurdity of expecting all children to crawl at a certain age. Likewise, experts tell us that labeling children as deficient before they are developmentally ready to read is extremely harmful. Experts tell us that the average age a child learns to read is 7. Some read earlier and some read later. Please look at this research.
In Finland, where teens score at the top of international reading tests, children don’t start school until age 7 because lawmakers, drawing on the wisdom of experts, understand that many younger kids have not reached the developmental maturity for the more focused structure that we in Minnesota are imposing on younger and younger children. Forcing our children to read before they are developmentally ready is causing them to be falsely labeled as deficient.
Finland also knows that education is local. They respect the expertise and knowledge of local teachers.
National Education Policy Center and Education Deans for Justice recently posted this policy statement, “The Science of Reading,” which provides legislators with proven policies:
I ask you to look to such proven policies instead of legislation that promotes a narrowed and top-down mandated programs that will force the dyslexia label on our children.
It is critical that you read the full report but here are two important points
NEPC calls on legislators to:
*Support the professionalism of K-12 teachers and teacher educators, acknowledging the teacher as the reading expert in the care of unique populations of students.
*Fund low student/teacher ratios
*Guarantee that all students are served based on their identifiable needs in the highest quality teaching and learning conditions possible across all schools:
My own children were late readers. I refused the mandated flawed assessments that would have labeled them as deficient. I know, had I allowed it, my children would have been labeled deficient and even dyslexic and would not be readers now. Instead, I refused to be pressured to force them to read before they were developmentally ready. Fortunately, I am a certified teacher with a wealth of knowledge around literacy acquisition and instead used proven strategies to support them on their reading journeys. I am happy to say that they are all now able, independent readers.
For the future of our Minnesota children repeal the “Read Well by 3rd grade” legislation and reverse policy mandates that have done great harm to our children.
I echo NEPC in this conclusion:
“At the very least, federal and state legislation should not continue to do the same things over and over while expecting different outcomes. The disheartening era of NCLB provides an
Important lesson and overarching guiding principle: Education legislation should address guiding concepts while avoiding prescriptions that will tie the hands of professional educators. All students deserve equitable access to high-quality literacy and reading instruction and opportunities in their schools. This will only be accomplished when policymakers pay heed to an overall body of high-quality research evidence and then make available the resources necessary for schools to provide our children with the needed supports and opportunities to learn”
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Stefanie Rysdahl Fuhr has a master’s degree in elementary education and has been advocating for children for 30 years. She is a public school graduate, parent of thriving public school students who learned to read later, public school activist, has been active in the opt-out movement, and co-admin for a local page against personalized learning. She blogs at Tutucker.
Nancy Bailey says
Thanks to Diane Ravitch.
https://dianeravitch.net/2020/09/21/3rd-grade-reading-laws-are-harmful-and-should-be-abolished/
R. Hernandez says
Dear Stephanie R. Fuhr,
While I’m not an educator, I’m a deeply concerned parent of two boys who have struggled with reading for far too long.
Kindly share with me what proven reading strategies did you use to support your own children as far as literary acquisition.
Both my 8 and 9 year old boys are currently in Kindergarten reading level yet they just got promoted to 2nd and 4th grade.
I’ve been trying to retain my sons yet LAUSD continues to promote them without any appropriate reading intervention.
My 9 year old son was diagnosed with severe Dyslexia in August 2018 and it took his school 18 months to acknowledge his Dyslexia!
On December 2019 his school finally offered him the Wilson Reading System.. However, due to COVID-19 school closures he didn’t start WRS tutoring until August 18, 2020 when promoted to 4th grade (despite reading deficits).
My 8 year old son just got promoted to 2nd grade- yet he cannot read a three letter word nor can he rhyme or write on his own!
Sadly, my youngest son is in the predicament as his brother was two years ago.
Both of my son’s attend the same charter school and both had same teacher for two consecutive years in 1st and 2nd grade. – both boys are now so far behind in reading/writing.
How can retention with appropriate reading intervention be so bad for our children when promotion without appropriate reading intervention seems far more damaging academically, emotionally, and socially?
At least in my son’s early school experience- they both have sobbed due to reading difficulties/frustration
and asked me – “but mom why hasn’t my teacher taught me read like my friends?”
Please help us save my children from reading failure!!
Any feedback/suggestions/literature is much needed and appreciated.
Many thanks!
R. Hernandez
Stefanie says
Sorry you are going through this. I am lucky that I am a teacher that taught before No Child Left Behind when we were allowed to use best practices to teach children. Now with so many mandates, it is really hard to understand each child as a reader and how best to work with them.
Since I don’t know your situation or your sons, I can’t really tell you what would work best. I can only share things I’m doing.
It was important for me to not look at my children as deficient readers. I wish they had spent more time reading and writing in meaningful ways.. Invented spelling is a great way to work on phonics etc. .Our system really doesn’t allow for a lot of actual engagement.
I used this document to help me pay attention to the purpose of reading. . https://drive.google.com/file/d/1owPeSGvdcXizdtuG7bXJ-vykIrGysz2m/view?usp=sharing
Here is what I did.
1. Read a lot to my children. . . would get books on tape too
2. Found books my kids loved like the Elephant and Piggy books . . . Would read and reread. My son would be Piggy and I’d be Elephant and vice versa. . We had fun and laughed.
3. He loved the “Who would win books” https://tutucker.wordpress.com/2019/11/16/who-would-win/
4. He now loves “The Bad Guys” series
5. We read together a lot and laugh and get grossed out and just react. I’m not saying I don’t get worried but someone stated and it makes sense to me. . . I’m raising a life long reader and not one who is meeting pseudo standards. (My kids never took any computerized/standardized tests. )
I also talk about reading behaviors verses abilities.
If you can find someone who has experience with Reading Recovery, that would be your best place to find assistance in how best to work with your children.
It’s so hard but the biggest thing you can do is try not to pass your fears down to your children, convince yourself that they are not deficient but just not there yet and help them find the love of reading!
Good luck!!