Boston Globe covers "the literacy crisis in Massachusetts."
📖 Yes, there is a literacy crisis. And the Boston Globe team did a thorough job covering it in its first article of the series.
First of all, here’s how they titled the part 1 of their series. —>
THE GREAT DIVIDE
Lost in a world of words
Learning to read is the greatest gift a school can give a child. And yet here, in the birthplace of public education, outmoded teaching methods leave thousands of students struggling to gain this critical skill.
By Mandy McLaren and Naomi Martin, Globe Staff
Published Oct. 4, 2023
As someone whose child has struggled to learn, really struggled, the title alone is powerful. READ IT HERE
When my son was in kindergarten, I distinctly remember the lively letters letter sounds being a “review unit.” He had an alphabet puzzled of which he could not name every piece. He had clearly not mastered his letters, never mind the letter sounds. However, when we received a curriculum overview it was clear letters and letter sounds weren’t going to be taught explicitly; they were being “reviewed.”
We expressed concerns.
By the time he was in second or third grade, he preferred to sign his name with initials. Initials are easier than spelling something out, after all.
He had been encouraged to “take a picture walk.”
To pick out “just right” books.
To sit quietly and “read” independently daily. It’s likely he looked at pictures not words. Pretending.
We were told to it doesn’t “click” for everyone at the same.
Give it time.
This year my district has taken definitive steps to move away from many of these practices — ones that are tied to balanced literacy strategies. There is a new evidence-based curriculum. But changes here, or anywhere, do not happen with the flip of a switch. Also, many districts are holding on tight to strategies proven ineffective and not supported by DESE.
For these reasons and more (including learning about the terms in the paragraph above), I recommend everyone read this article. Really read it. But for anyone out there who may have been encouraged to “wait and see,” I especially recommend doing so.
The online version has even tools and coverage about the state of literacy education, particular to the state of Massachusetts.
If we want to do better in communities and for society, supporting our children’s ability to access the world — especially the world of information, is essential.
And the journey to the right support starts with understanding.
I’m looking forward to Part 2.