Did you know that 33% of our nation's children are not reading at the Basic Level, which represents a rudimentary ability to read? A third of our children are essentially not reading. That seems crazy in an era in which science allows us to hold in our hands a technology that is more complicated and advanced than the computers that helped send expeditions to the moon and back. How can that be? The experts in the Science of Reading at Jett Publishing are here to break it down for you, first outlining the greatest discrepancy in utilizing the science of reading, and introducing solutions for approaching this misstep in the classroom.
How are so many children reading at a basic level? The answer to that question is that most of our colleges of education are not teaching pre-service teachers, meaning education majors, the Science of Reading. Research examining teachers' knowledge in the Science of Reading has consistently shown that teachers perform very poorly. This is not surprising since their professors also lack knowledge regarding the Science of Reading. Professors cannot teach what they do not know. This results in teachers not being able to lecture on the mechanics of reading. As a result, most teachers feel unprepared to teach struggling readers.
Even reading specialists are disappointed in their educational experiences. This is not the fault of teachers who desperately want to be able to help each of their students become competent readers. Teachers actually feel betrayed by their lack of training in reading and often express this dissatisfaction with frustration and sometimes anger. Who could blame them? Imagine going to medical school only to find that they do not teach virology. When you ask why it is not in the curriculum, your professors tell you that they do not believe that viruses exist. Even if the viruses did exist, there was no proof that they made anyone sick.
So, what is the answer to this issue? Well, it is critical that colleges of education begin teaching the Science of Reading. There is no doubt about that. Teachers need to have this knowledge so that they understand how complicated the English Writing System is and how it contributes to reading failure. In fact, the English Writing System produces the largest number of illiterate adults of any writing system.
The Science of Reading also provides insights into the areas that struggling readers are generally weak in, how these weaknesses arise genetically and neurologically, and what can be done to assist them to become competent readers. Many states are putting pressure on colleges of education by enacting laws that will help ameliorate this issue. Some colleges of education are realizing the importance of the Science of Reading and are incorporating it into their curricula.
JETT Publishing can also help you with its kindergarten reading curriculum, The Secret Codes. It provides the essential aspects of the Science of Reading so that ALL children can become competent readers. It was written with the teacher who was not trained in the Science of Reading in mind. It is very easy to use with in-depth explanations of each component and even addresses how to specifically pronounce each phoneme presented. Schools that are using the Secret Codes have seen dramatic reductions in the number of struggling readers. Some have even said that it was a "miracle." That is exactly how it feels when the Science of Reading is applied to struggling readers, but it is not a miracle, it is science!
Looking to learn more about the Secret Codes and help improve literacy rates in your classroom? Explore the Secret Codes curriculum and see how Jett Publishing can help create stronger, smarter readers using the science of reading today.
