Small: Seven ways to boost reading outcomes

Seven ways to boost reading outcomes

By Jonathan Small

I’ve written about Oklahoma’s appalling reading outcomes, which have fallen dramatically and are now among the worst in the nation.

Fortunately, lawmakers have banned the use of “three cuing” instruction that mostly involves teaching a child to guess rather than sound out words.

But more can be done. Here are seven policy steps to improve reading proficiency in Oklahoma.

First, prohibit the use of state or local government funding for any programs that involve anything other than phonics and the science of reading. The ban on three-cueing is good, but we should also avoid sending teachers to training programs that focus on anything other than proven methods. There’s no need to waste teachers’ time, or taxpayer funds, on training that is ultimately ineffective or worse.

Second, policymakers must end social promotion. Children far below grade level should not be advanced to the fourth grade. The state of Mississippi, once a laggard that trailed Oklahoma, has enjoyed huge gains in reading proficiency because officials banned social promotion in addition to focusing on phonics.

Third, officials should offer performance pay or significant bonuses to teachers who work with children who do not read at grade level.

Fourth, the school-day calendar should place reading instruction in the morning, when children’s minds are sharpest, rather than at the end of the day (as is reportedly happening in some districts now). It’s time to focus pre-k to third-grade standards only on reading, math, science, and the necessary physical education and breaks needed to keep students’ minds engaged.

Fifth, schools should assess children at least once a month if a child is not reading at grade level to record progress and aid future instructional strategies.

Sixth, officials should provide coaching to teachers. A school’s best teachers are a resource that should be tapped to train other teachers in reading instruction. Once again, bonus pay or similar incentives should be provided.

Finally, officials should provide read-at-home plans to the parents of struggling students, guiding parents on ways to work on specific deficits. Not every parent knows how to teach reading, so schools should help them.

As I noted earlier, Mississippi has seen huge gains in a short amount of time using simple policies such as those I’ve outlined.

In 2013, only one state had a lower score on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) fourth-grade reading test than Mississippi. (Oklahoma’s score indicated our students were nearly a full year ahead of Mississippi students at that time.)

 

Today, only six states score higher than Mississippi on NAEP’s fourth-grade reading test. Mississippi’s scale score equates to roughly a half-grade higher than the national average (and is now more than a year ahead of their Oklahoma counterparts).

There’s no reason Oklahoma can’t do the same thing and become a national example for other states.

Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.