Question Your Child's School Reading Program to Gauge Its Effectiveness

Question Your Child's School Reading Program to Gauge Its Effectiveness

Question Your Child's School Reading Program to Gauge Its Effectiveness : Multi-thousand tips to make your life easier.

With the growing percentage of illiteracy in the country, education has been the subject of studies by organizations, companies, and communities. The most important component of education is reading. If people can read well, barriers caused by miscommunication can be minimized, and it is a step toward deeper literacy. Your child’s school should have reading programs that offer students a way to boost their reading skills. But the question is, are you sure their program is really effective? What you can do is question your child’s school reading program. Here’s how to do it.

• Research the school’s reading program. Each school uses different programs for its students. Meet with your child’s teacher and ask what program they use. Go online and research the program to learn more about it. Read about its methodology and its rate of effectiveness by reading testimonials from mothers. Ask your child’s school how they decided to use the reading program method they currently use. They should explain how they specifically studied each program before choosing it.
• Ask about the elements of the reading program. The National Reading Panel identified five important elements. If the reading program they use is research-based, be sure these five elements are present:
  • Phonemic Awareness Instruction. This concerns the ability to think about and notice distinct sounds in spoken words.
  • Phonics Instruction. This element refers to the child’s ability to know the relationships between letters and sounds.
  • Fluency Instruction. This shows the child’s ability to read at an increasingly fast pace.
  • Vocabulary. This element gives your child the ability to understand words and use them in everyday sentences.
  • Comprehension Instruction. This element of the program may increase your child’s ability to understand what he is reading.
• Ask how large your child’s learning group is. The number of children in your child’s class has an impact on his education. Ask your child’s teacher how many children are in one classroom. Remember that the bigger the class size, the fewer chances your child has to participate in reading lessons. You should know how they select the children in the class. Make sure the selection of each class is based on each child’s reading level and capability.
• Ask about the pacing of the program. Let your child’s teacher explain the pacing of their reading program. Let him explain how fast the program goes so you can make sure your child is not forced into activities he can’t keep up with. High expectations eventually lead to a dislike of reading.
• Check the teacher’s credentials. Find out the credentials of the teaching staff. Your child’s teacher should be trained specifically in reading. Ask for certifications, and you should know if the teacher has mastered any other learning style. Ask the school board what made them choose the teachers for the reading program at your child’s school.

Education is the foundation of every nation’s success. Reading is the first step to gaining knowledge. Be sure that your child has an effective reading curriculum. You owe it to him, and he will surely be grateful for it. Wouldn’t it be nice if he could get you a greeting card and read it out to you?