Wrong cure for a non-problem

Stephen Krashen

Duval (Florida) superintendent  wants K,1,2 children to attend academic summer school because half of county's third graders don't read on grade level.

1.     Grade level, by definition = median score, the 50th percentile.  One-half must read below grade level if grade level based on district's scores. If based on national scores, Duval third graders are exactly at the national average. We have a math crisis among administrators.

2.     Academics is the wrong cure even if there was a real problem: The path to the highest levels of literacy starts with (1) stories, read-alouds, and then (2) massive self-selected free voluntary reading, which prepares students for (3) heavy, academic and specialized reading.  It is not just the most pleasant way, it is the only way (Krashen, S. 2012. Developing academic proficiency: Some hypotheses. International Journal of Foreign Langauge Teaching, (2): 8-15. (available at ijflt.com)

Source: Valarie Strauss: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/07/13/and-now-mandatory-summer-school-for-some-kindergartners/

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