A Must Read: When should kids be able to read?

Washington Post published an article by columnist Valerie Strauss on February 10, 2011 titled When should kids learn to read? We feel that is of special significance to those of us in the field of early childhood education who have been supporters of developmental education.

"It used to be that kids in the early elementary school grades were allowed to learn how to read at their own speed. Today test-obsessed public schools don’t offer that luxury; if youngsters aren't starting to learn to read in kindergarten, and can’t read by the end of first grade, they are already behind."

Further on she writes, "This flies in the face of research that shows that some students need more time to learn how to read, and that boys as a group are being put a disadvantage with earlier and earlier reading demands." Strauss concludes, "But if they aren't given the adequate amount of time to develop the habit of reading at their own pace, they will never become readers. It's time to rethink how we address this most basic enterprise."

Read the full article.

How do you think this affects the early childhood programs we offer in our communities?