3rd Grade Reading Laws Are Harmful
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 CONTINUE READING: 3rd Grade Reading Laws Are Harmful
