This story is about Bush plans re readstart and reading instruction. It might
prove of interest, but if not, delete now!
mike
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Wednesday, August 8, 2001
White House plan to teach children to read- Administration focuses on
accountability and science in promoting early literacy.
By Francine Kiefer Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Americans have long heard about the difficulties of learning to read. Now
they're discovering more about the causes and solutions - which seem to lie
in preschool years. A typical child, for instance, enters Head Start
knowing only one letter of the alphabet. At the end of one year, he or she
still knows only one letter. In some poor school districts, kids begin
kindergarten not knowing basic words such as "chicken," "leaf," or
"triangle." One study shows that three-year-olds from affluent families have
larger vocabularies than some welfare parents. Now the Bush administration
wants to make early childhood reading a national priority - but with a
twist. It wants to promote only programs that are "proven" to be effective
with scientific results. While lauding the new emphasis on accountability,
critics worry about a lack of funding, a lack of teachers - and what the
definition of "proven" might turn out to be. "Launching a child into and
across their life is as important as launching the next space shuttle, and
we certainly did use science in that regard," says Reid Lyon, director of
child development research at the National Institutes of Health and a key
player in the administration's new approach. How to teach reading has been
the subject of pitched battles and competing fads for decades. What the
administration is proposing is refocusing research and federal funding on
methods with a scientific basis. The increased emphasis on scientific
research as the basis for all further action was a key theme at a two-day
summit last week on early childhood cognitive development, sponsored by
first lady and former teacher Laura Bush.
The administration also announced two new initiatives:
* A joint task force between the Departments of Education and Health and
Human Services. The task force is to take the research and findings from the
summit and translate them into "practical" programs for young people -
including a likely overhaul of Head Start, a preschool program which serves
880,000 poor children but has never emphasized literacy. The move was
welcomed by the House subcommittee on Education Reform, which plans to hold
a hearing on early childhood education on Tuesday.
* A massive research project to last at least five years to the tune of $10
million a year. Conducted by the National Institutes of Health, the project
will try to identify interactions that help young children from all
backgrounds develop learning skills, says Mr. Lyon. It will include
everything from the influence of health and nutrition on learning, to
specific interaction with reading materials.
Following the research
"We're really pleased that the administration is talking this way, but the
question is: Will they have the backbone to follow science in terms of
wherever it goes?" says Amy Wilkins, an analyst at the Education Trust. In
Texas, where the Bushes developed their educational roots, scientific
research led to a pilot program that helped Head Start use proven methods of
teaching early literacy. The program came out of a similar summit held by
Mrs. Bush when she was first lady of Texas. But to make the program work,
Texas had to cough up $15 million, and Head Start underwent massive and
expensive changes: retraining of instructors, mentors for every 12 teachers,
and the promotion of aides to staff status, so that each classroom has two
teachers. Head Start officials say it will take a similar financial
commitment to implement a literacy program on a nationwide scale. "There's
no way we can continue comprehensive services and do enhancement of literacy
without additional funds," says Sarah Greene, chief executive officer of the
National Head Start Association. Last year, the Clinton administration
increased Head Start's budget by nearly $1 billion. This year, the Bush
administration proposes an increase of $125 million. "That's not even enough
to cover inflation," she says.
Not easy to 'do what works'
Lack of funds, a severe teacher shortage, and resistance to change make the
administration's approach - while laudable - extremely challenging, says Ms.
Wilkins. She points out that while Texas may work as a test area, it is
quite another thing to push the concept of "do what works" nationally. Just
look at the resistance that state governors have had to the accountability
standards the administration wants in education reform, she says. "You've
got to remember, when research runs into politics, politics trumps it," says
Wilkins. The administration seems undaunted. At the summit, officials
highlighted efforts that are making a difference without a huge influx of
federal dollars. Many pediatricians, for instance, see themselves as the
natural source for parents of all economic backgrounds to learn about early
literacy. In a program called "Reach Out and Read," more than 7,000
pediatricians have been trained to counsel parents on the basics of teaching
early reading, handing over an age-appropriate book at the end of each
twice-yearly visit. Similarly, Maryland public libraries have drawn up
fliers with early-reading tips and are retraining library staff and starting
a marketing campaign to take kids to libraries before kindergarten.
Meanwhile, the Association of Community College Trustees is reconsidering
its curriculum. Many Head Start workers and early childcare providers are
graduates of community colleges.
Less-expensive solutions
"There are examples all around the country of programs that are doing a much
better job with the resources they have available," says Russ Whitehurst,
assistant secretary of education in charge of research. The first scientist
to hold that job, Mr. Whitehurst is one of several new appointees who are
researchers with a background in science instead of education. "We'd like
to see what can be done with the money we currently have," said Whitehurst
in an interview. "As we need more money to advance the cause, I'm sure we'll
be asking for it."
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