Remedial Reading Education - Overview

Standard (c), remedial reading, requires school districts to provide a program to identify and help underachieving students in kindergarten through grade 4.

The early years of a child's life are the foundation upon which reading skills will be built. If there are weaknesses in this foundation, early detection and corrections are essential to future growth and learning.

Children come to school with varied backgrounds in reading. Some have experienced a background rich with books and environmental print; others have little or no experience with books.

Reading naturally involves messages expressed in language. The language children bring to school is the greatest resource teachers can use in helping to develop reading and writing. By drawing on the oral language, background, and experience the child brings to the reading process, educators can prevent reading failures.

The department endorses a policy that a remedial program exists primarily to provide support to students who need additional assistance in learning to read. Young children sometimes experience failure because they are subjected to rigid, formal prereading and reading programs with inappropriate expectations and experiences for their developmental stages. The department views this standard as the opportunity to prevent reading failures by building upon what the child already knows about oral language, reading, and writing and by attending to deficiencies in that knowledge not met solely through the regular reading program.

The intent of the standard addresses both the child and the program:

• Identify students with weaknesses in language and background experiences that may result in reading failure.
• Prevent and remedy reading failures by providing instruction appropriate to the developmental stage of the child.
• Provide instruction in grades K-4 that builds upon the child's oral language, reading, and writing.

DPI can assist districts in meeting Standard (c) by consulting with them on programs for diagnosis and instruction. A Guide to Curriculum Planning in Reading, Curriculum Planning in English/Language Arts, Classroom Activities in Listening and Speaking, and Strategic Learning in the Content Areas also provide guidance.

For questions about this information, contact Jacqueline C. Karbon (608) 267-9268

Last updated on 2/25/2008 1:42:49 PM