Literacy in Public Schools

Literacy in Public Schools

Public schools currently have problems with children and their ability to read. In the early years of a child's education he or she may not have the maturity to handle the pressure of the next grade level. Parents, seeing this as a hindrance, ignore any recommendation to hold their child back. Then their child may develop what may seem to be a learning disability. This learning disability can make school much harder than it should be for that child.

Recently, a local radio DJ read responses he had received regarding a discussion about the literacy of children in public school. A child had gone all the way through to fourth grade and still did not know how to read. One comment said that it is not the teacher's fault that the child could not read but really the parent's fault. A teacher can suggest holding a student back but the parents decide ultimately whether or not to hold that child back. The commentator said that the teacher had told the parent that the child could not mentally handle the next grade level.

The parents of this child still decided year after year to have their child move up grades knowing that their child was struggling. I personally have been affected by this

but it was a fault in the school system. When I was in elementary school I had been enrolled a year early, making me a year younger than the rest of my grade. Because of this it was difficult for me to do well in school. My teachers had never thought much on the subject since I was such a social person. Considering the one prerequisite is that the child must have problems socializing, considering it a mental hindrance. My teachers did not see that I lacked the mental and emotional maturity to move into the next grade.

My sister, effected by the lack of understanding on a teachers part, got held back a year. Emotionally, she did not have a strong enough "footing" to be moved into the next grade. My mother was furious and made an issue out of the situation. My sister, being a year older, had no problems mentally. So my mom made the school test my sister; she did so well on the test that the school put her back into regular classes. Every child should be required to take the same test that my sister did.

The easy solution to this lack of understanding of a child's mind is to test kids at a young age. Testing

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