We have all heard the quote, “reading is fundamental”. Well, although the saying has been turned into a meme, several times over, the saying is nothing less than true. And, at the moment, America isn’t acing the most fundamental of educational building blocks. But who is to blame? Educators? Well, according to one expert, teachers aren’t the answer to America’s literacy crisis, parents are!

In an op-ed written for Parents.com, Spencer Russell, award-winning educator and founder of Toddlers CAN Read, stated that parents are the key to helping fix a broken system.

“As researchers Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher explain, “Reading is a complex, rule-based system that must be imposed on biological structures that were designed or evolved for other reasons,” he quoted in his piece.

Russell continued saying, “In other words, reading can’t be caught. It can only be taught.”

According to stated statistics, 60% of third graders don’t meet grade-level expectations for reading, and 43 million American adults have low literacy skills. The literacy gap problem is getting worse, not better. The 2022 National Association for Educational Progress report revealed that we now have the lowest 8th-grade reading scores since 1998.

So, just what does Russell suggest parents do to help their students with literacy? Below are three suggestions that parents can do ASAP to lead the charge!

1. Believe the evidence: The evidence is overwhelming in terms of the literacy deficiency in the United States, especially when it comes to Black and Brown students. Believe what the numbers are saying even if you feel that your child is an exception to the rule.

2. Don’t wait to start teaching your child: There is no rule that children have to wait until kindergarten to learn to read. According to Russell, many children can start to learn to read as young as 18 -months-old. He states that, developmental “appropriateness” has more to do with how you teach than what you teach.

3. Teach phonics: Using phonics and teaching children to first understand letter sounds is one of the most effective strategies to institute.

“To be clear, the literacy crisis in America isn’t just about reading. It’s about what reading unlocks, ” Russell said. “When kids read well from the get-go, they do better in school from the start. Strong academics mean more opportunities down the road. And more opportunities mean more options.”

He continued, “‍In other words, when kids read well, they get to choose their life. Too many Black, brown, and low-income kids don’t get that chance. With your help, yours can.”

For more information on how you can help your child in the midst of our country’s literacy crisis, click here.

 

Photo Credit: Pexels.com; Spencer Russell Instagram