Teaching children to read is the paramount issue facing all of us

In my ongoing New Year’s clean-up campaign, I stumbled upon a photo of my oldest child at age 2, attempting to read to his younger sister. So what if he sometimes had his book upside down?

The photo of these young readers could have easily served as the cover art for the December issue of Georgia Trend magazine, featuring an article on “Why Early Reading Matters.” Yes, it does matter; it is almost impossible to overstate how much it matters.

As the Georgia Trend article points out, if only 42 percent of the state’s public school students are reading at the appropriate level by third grade, this is a catastrophic issue. Up until then, the experts say, the little ones are learning to read; after that point, students are reading to learn. Those who are behind will suffer not just in school but in crucial areas of life.

Literacy is indeed fundamental.

Here’s the rub: In “Why Early Reading Matters,” Get Georgia Reading campaign director Arianne Weldon says that the most important factor in achieving literacy by the desired level is early exposure, starting at birth, to words and language.

Currently, most of this early learning is the responsibility of parents, many of whom are not equipped to provide it for a variety of reasons. The early years of life for a child in an affluent home are very likely going to differ from those years in an impoverished home, and yet the shameful fact is that 60 percent of public school students come from just such a background.

This is not news. Each year the business-oriented Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education publishes “Top 10 Issues to Watch” and not surprisingly, this year’s publication includes “The Early Learning Workforce — A Challenge for Georgia” and “Literacy — A Foundational Necessity.”

The research tells us that it is almost impossible to start developing these language skills too early. In many ways, by pre-K, the die is already cast. If students are not on the path to achieving mastery, problems start to mount. Losing interest in school, the students’ interests turn elsewhere.

Several years ago, columnist Maureen Downey reported on a study by labor economist James Heckman titled “The Lifecycle Benefits of an Influential Early Childhood Program.” Among other things, the program enriched the lives of children by improving the lives of their parents. It seems obvious, doesn’t it? Well, yes, but expensive, too.

An obvious question is how to deal with students who have progressed well past the third grade without becoming readers. Some perhaps can read, but do they enjoy it? As adults, will they read for pleasure? More importantly perhaps, will they raise children who are readers?

Thanks to the digital revolution and all that has come with it (smart phones, for example) the task of the Get Georgia Reading campaign grows more daunting with each passing year. Let’s get serious about early learning. I started to say “deadly serious,” and perhaps I should have. Reading well is about more than employment and quality of life, it’s about reducing crime and improving health. Let’s stop talking about literacy and declare war.

If Georgia’s legislators are in search of meaningful measures for 2020, speaking as both parent and teacher, I would urge the governor and General Assembly to prioritize early learning. And I mean prioritize: Put these efforts on an equal footing with, say, dredging the Savannah River. We’ve been giving these matters lip service for years. To put it politely, it’s time to stop mealy-mouthing around and start changing lives.

Larry Fennelly writes a regular column for The Telegraph. Contact him at larney_f@hotmail.com