Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Linked to HS Graduation

The hot topic in education these days is Common Core Standards.  These "evidence-based [standards are] aligned with college and work expectations, [including] rigorous content and skills, and are informed by other top performing countries. They were developed in consultation with teachers and parents from across the country so they are also realistic and practical for the classroom." (source)

That being said, perhaps educators should double- and triple-ensure that our 3rd Graders are receiving the best instruction via the most effective practices possible.  Why?

A new report, Double Jeopardy: How Poverty & Third-Grade Reading Skills Influence High School Graduation, released on April 8, 2011 finds that students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave without a diploma than proficient readers. The report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a longitudinal study of nearly 4,000 students and their parents. It is notable in breaking down for the first time the likelihood of graduation by different reading skill levels and poverty experiences.  You can read the entire report as a .pdf by going here.

What does this mean for Alabama educators? 

Heinemann has long been a source of excellent intervention products.  Fountas and Pinnell's Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) and Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) are your proven effective choices, especially for your Tier II and Tier III needs. 

Also, reading workshops are popular in today's classrooms.  Units of study for Teaching Reading: A Curriculum for the Reading Workshop, Grades 3–5 by Lucy Calkins and her colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project have helped hundreds of thousands of teachers launch and implement rigorous and responsive reading and writing workshops. Now they have written an unprecedented curriculum for the reading workshop based on their work—Units of Study for Teaching Reading.  This is an extremely rigorous and responsive course of study for students Powerful and empowering professional development for teachers.

Lastly, do not forget about the popular series Catching Schools and Catching Readers by Barbara M. Taylor.  In Barbara M. Taylor's own words, "When we're true to children's developmental needs and know which books to put in their hands, good things fall into place. The key is to focus on the children and the practices we know help them to read at each grade level."  This series is available for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th/5th grade levels.  But remember, starting early is the best practice to building a solid educational foundation.