According to the Nation’s Report Card, in assessing children's academic performance in the United States in 2005, only 37 percent of all fourth graders are considered to be “proficient readers.” As reading issues and struggles are on the rise across the country, educators are striving to intervene in order to boost students’ reading comprehension and performance; however, educators and schools have limited time and resources, but parents can take on a strong and integral role in their child’s literacy success.
As Sue Whitney, the research editor for Wrightslaw, further explicates, “Children do not learn to read with support. They learn to read with direct instruction. Reading is a learned skill. For many children, reading is not a skill that develops naturally as they mature.” To provide children with the essential reading skills needed in all academic grades and levels, parents can implement early reading strategies in order to boost their child’s literacy comprehension and success.
The Importance of Parental Literacy Support
While a greater number of schools across the country are creating early literacy programs for children, many educational experts assert that early programs are not the sole solution or tool to prepare new students for learning and instruction. As The Colorado Department of Education supports, nearly 46% of kindergarten teachers in the United States reveal that nearly 50% of their students exhibit specific issues and problems upon their entry into their first classroom;