The Importance of Reading

Our schools recognize the impact of reading on a student’s education and have placed an emphasis on helping early elementary students learn essential foundational literacy skills.  Up to 3rd grade, students are learning to read while after 3rd grade, students are reading to learn. Reading will help a student learn about the content in most other subject areas.  Research shows that spending 20 minutes a day reading with a child will help him/her develop critical reading skills. Since a child will spend over 900 hours in a year at school and 7,800 hours at home, it is important for schools and families to work in a partnership to help each child become a successful reader.

Understanding the Law

In October 2016, HB 4822 was signed by Governor Snyder and became Public Act 306 of 2016  (the Read by Third Grade Act). This law will affect students in the current Kindergarten classes and in subsequent grades thereafter.  This law attempts to ensure that more students will achieve a score of at least proficient in English Language Arts on the 3rd Grade state assessment.  Also, PA 306 requires the implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support elements to ensure that early intervention takes place for at risk students.  PA 306 also legislates a process to retain students that fail to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.

For current students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, each child’s reading progress will be closely monitored.   If a child is not reading at or above grade level, an individualized reading improvement plan (IRIP) will be created and shared with you. The plan includes extra instruction, ongoing checks, and a Read at Home plan.  You will be notified if your child may be retained.

For students in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade, our school will test your child to identify if he or she needs extra help in reading.  If identified, our school will provide your child with an individual reading improvement plan (IRIP) with a Read at Home plan. Starting in 2019-20, a 3rd grade student will not be promoted to 4th grade unless he or she receives a score of not less than one year behind in a state reading assessment, shows a grade 3 reading level on another approved test, or demonstrates a 3rd grade reading level through a portfolio.

If your 3rd grade child does not meet the criteria for passing 3rd grade reading as measured by the state, you have the right to meet with our school’s administrator  and the right to request a Good Cause Exemption within 30 days of initial notification. You also have the right and (are encouraged) to be involved throughout your son’s or daughter’s entire literacy education.

A Good Cause Exemption as stated in PA 306 includes the following:

• Does the student have an IEP or 504 plan?
• Is the student limited in his or her English proficiency and has received less than three years of instruction in an English language learner program?
• Has the student been previously retained with having two or more years of intensive reading intervention?
• Has the student been enrolled in our district for less than 2 years without an individualized reading plan?

If the answer to yes from any of the possible scenarios listed above, our district’s superintendent (or designated school official) will make the final decision and share it with you within 30 days prior to the start of school.

A Family Guide for Reading Success

When you read with your child, this is a proven way to promote early literacy.  One of the most important things you can do to prepare your child for his/her future is helping to make sure that your child is reading on a regular basis with appropriate grade level texts.  You can help your child’s success in school by making reading part of a daily routine in your home. Research shows that students who read at least 20 minutes per day will score in the 90th percentile on standardized tests.  Students will have access to leveled books to take home to practice reading for at least 20 minutes each night from their classroom teacher.  Students will also be able to check out books from the media center on a weekly basis.

There are important ways you can help your child before, during, and after he or she reads from a text.  Read at home with your child at least 20 minutes every day with books they enjoy.

Before reading:

• You may read to your child a text before he or she reads it.
• Have your child make predictions about what might happen next.
• Have your child use picture clues from the cover to predict what the book is about.

During reading:

• Read out loud to your child.
• Listen to your child read.
• Echo read (you read a line and then have your child repeat the line).
• Read together at the same time (choral reading).
• Reread or retell favorite stories.
• Talk to your son or daughter about what they are reading.
• Talk about how the pictures in the book connect to the words on the page.

After reading, you may:

• Ask “What do you remember from the text?”
•  Ask questions about the reading (who, what, when, where, why).
• Have your child talk about his or her favorite parts of the story and why.
• Ask “What have you learned from the text?”
• Ask “Who was in the book and what did this character do in the story?”
• Connect the story to your child’s life or to other books you and your child have read together.

As a partner in your child’s education, our school encourages you to communicate regularly with your child’s teacher regarding their progress. DuVall Elementary will offer a literacy strategies support session for parents to be able to support student learning at home.  This session may be enhanced and repeated during the school year.  Our school and district are committed to ensuring that your child receives the foundational literacy skills that he or she needs to thrive in our diverse and global world.

Additional Resources:

Dearborn Public Schools:

EPIC Books and Moby Max contain web based books for students to read online.  To access, students will use their credentials and log into CLEVER from the website https://dearbornschools.org/resources/students.

Dearborn Public Library :

Online books are available for (Elementary Students) and  (Pre-school) children.

MDE:

The  Literacy Essentials are the framework for our state Reading Curriculum.