How Can We Ensure Successful Readers in Schools?
Many children enter public school in the U.S. without the essential foundations for reading—skills that are particularly lacking in many from low-income families or those whose native language is not English.
In Maine, the Muskie School runs Early Reading First, a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Education that improves language and literacy among preschoolers at risk for school failure, strengthens connections between public schools and preschool programs, and coordinates existing training and technical assistance. The goal is to ensure that all children enter kindergarten with the necessary language and reading skills for continued success in school.
A recent conversation overheard in Portland, Maine, illustrates the program's impact. Two Somali mothers were talking about their children's preschool, which is participating in the Early Reading First program. One was explaining her 4-year experience with the program to the other whose child had just started.
She said that her first child did not experience Early Reading First, was enrolled in a special classroom for "English Language Learners" and is currently having difficulty learning to read in school, often hiding under the desk. Her second child, after going through one year of the program, went straight into a mainstream kindergarten classroom and is doing very well. Her third child is still attending the pre-school and participating in Early Reading First. The mother concluded: "Now, I just want to tell you…this is a real school!"
More information about the program is available online and on the Maine Roads to Quality web site, which is also an early education program housed at the Muskie School.