Utah Reads Web Site
September 8, 1999
September is National Literacy Month.
And Utah children are below par when it comes to reading.
But the state hopes more money will prepare students for a brighter scholastic future.
A national report says about a third of Utah's fourth graders are not reading at their grade level.
And that concerns Utah educators, who worry students will fall even further behind.
Dr. Janice Dole, Program Director Utah Reads: "ROUGHLY BETWEEN 35 AND 40 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE READING BELOW THE BASIC LEVEL WHEN THEY ARE IN THE FOURTH GRADE."
Many Utah schools face barriers to reading such as students who speak English as a second language,
and students who score low test scores.
Dr. Janice Dole/Utah Reads Project Director: "OTHER STUDENTS COME TO SCHOOL FROM HOMES WHERE THEY'RE NOT READ TO. THERE ARE NO BOOKS IN THE HOME, THEY DON'T GO TO THE LIBRARY. SO WHEN THEY COME TO SCHOOL THE WHOLE IDEA OF READING AND READING A BOOK IS VERY, VERY NEW TO THEM."
So the state has set a goal of teaching every child to read on grade level by the end of the third grade.
And now the federal government is giving some schools a hand.
Utah just learned it has won a seven million dollar federal grant to encourage reading at schools - like T.O. Smith in Ogden.
With the money, schools can hire more teachers - teachers who must fill in the gap for at-risk students who have never picked up a book.
So, hopefully, by the time these first graders reach the third grade, they will be reading at the third grade level.
Dr. Janice Dole/Utah Reads Program Director: "THEY CAN DECODE WORDS WELL. THEY CAN READ WITH NOT TOO MUCH EFFORT AND READ WITH EXPRESSION, TO MAKE IT SOUND MORE LIKE A PLAY RATHER THAN THAT THEY'RE WORD READING. SO THEY CAN READ SIMPLE PASSAGES BUT READ THEM FAIRLY WELL."
When the process becomes automatic, children can focus on comprehension.
For more information on helping children learn to read, check out the Utah Reads Web Site
or call the Family Now information line at 1-800-575-5751.
