A Look At Third Grade Reading and Retention Policies to Improve Education Outcomes

A student’s third-grade score is an important turning point when their focus changes from learning to read to reading to learn. Many states follow the law ascertaining a student to read at a certain level to qualify for fourth standard, commonly known as the third-grade retention law. As per this law, no pupil is promoted without reaching third-grade level reading skills.

• Early identification and intervention are a crucial component to follow a retention policy

• Early identification leads test results to improve and further helps in declining the student retention rate

• A mandatory retention policy provides urgency of reading and learning to the students of third grade who want to get promoted in the next standard

• Promoting students to the upper class before they are ready, may set them up for failure in future

• Promoting all the students send a wrong message where a student can feel that they can achieve without working hard. Also, parents get a false impression of their child’s progress

• The pressure to meet education standards motivate a teacher to do their job in a more effective manner

Modern educators are sure that children need to read by third grade so that they can use the skill to learn other subjects as well. And if a child fails in the reading test,they must repeat the third grade to make their foundation stronger. Third grade is like a pivot point where a student uses their reading skills to learn other important topics.

Guidelines for schools for third-grade reading and retention policies:

Best primary schools in Singapore ensure students to have adequate literacy when they reach grade third. The guidelines for improving reading proficiency include:

1. To set annual goals for improvement and report publicly on how well these goals are met

2. Campaign for grade-level reading efficiency and empower parents and educators to help young students to acquire reading skills

3. To assess knowledge of reading as early as possible (kindergarten), and to provide numerous avenues for struggling readers to help them acquire more reading skills

4. Apply evidence-based inventions for struggling readers and ensure personalized instructions to enhance student’s achievements

5. Prepare teachers preparation program to the robust development of oral language and a sound vocabulary

6. Identify the teachers who are more successful at teaching and provide them with leverage for their talents in multiple ways

7. To make sure that parents are well pre-informed if their child is a struggling reader. Providing a home literacy plan and be sure that the parents are aware of a state retention policy

8. Create a website with the support of local media to establish an aggressive communication campaign. Research on early literacy skill, book recommendations, links to vocabulary building exercises, and other research programs.

Conclusion: Retention should not be the first or only step to improve struggling readers. If a child is identified early and is given proper attention, it is more likely that they will improve their knowledge and skills.