Schools Start, and Have New Focus

I was in church last night and, before the services started I witnessed a young girl (about age 12) with her little brother (about age 2.) She said, “A.” He repeated, “A.” Then, “B,” and he said, “B.” This went on and on through the alphabet. She was teaching him the alphabet. This child will grow up to never know what it is to NOT know his letters.

Here in the Lowcountry, schools have restarted for their fall programs. Thousands of children are geared up to return to, or start for the first time, school. School administrators are facing “not so good” progress in last year’s exit exams. I believe the alphabet soup name this year is ACT.

One nearby county superintendent has announced that they will focus on reading this year, so fourth and eighth graders can be tested on improved skills in basic reading and comprehension. Dear me, if they are waiting until fourth grade to see if kids can read, the kids will NEVER catch up.

One thing folks in the south don’t like to hear is how things are done somewhere else—or “from off.” As a person who came “from off” I have seen the educational systems of two cultures. “From off” where I lived and raised three children who were all accepted to their higher education of choice, I can relate how it was done “up there in the land of off.”

When a child turned three year’s old, they were tested for emotional and educational potential achievement. How was this done? All children when they turned three were brought into the classroom and scored on emotional stability. Could they be away from Mom for a short period of time without crying? Could they play with other kids without outbursts, fighting, biting, etc.

Then they were tested academically. Did they know their letters, numbers, colors, shapes? Could they say the alphabet? Could they count to 10, to 20? If NOT, these children, and only these children, were brought into the classroom atmosphere to learn these skills. And the parent was advised to accompany them frequently, so as to educate the parent on what was expected of their child.

In the land of “from off” reading was highly encouraged as a daily activity, with parents reading aloud to their children daily for at least 15 minutes. The parents were told through PTA groups that when children saw parents reading, this encouraged the children to want to read.

I think it is highly important for schools to try to focus on reading. However, to get the children the best start in life, another program could be implemented. This program would quiz new mothers on their reading skills when a baby is born—in the hospital. If a new mom has difficulty, she should be encouraged to join a literacy group, or even a book club. New moms with low literacy skills should be given books suitable to first graders to read to their babies. If a mom reads to her baby from day one, both the mother and the baby will benefit.

If this country really wants to jump-start its schools in this area of reading, it could be quite easy, and a lot less expensive than raising illiterate children doomed to be the next generation of high school drop-outs on welfare.

This country is in a mess right now, with the economy in the tank, and jobs scares. Raising another generation of children who can’t read or write, or do their numbers should NOT be an option.