By Eileen O’grady
CONCORD MONITOR
The state Department of Education wants to train educators in the fundamentals of how children learn to read to address low reading proficiency among Granite State students two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of a new initiative called “Leaning Into Literacy” that the Department announced Tuesday, the Division of Learner Support is seeking state contractors who can train educators – including teachers, administrators, reading and writing specialists, curriculum coordinators and parents – in how to provide reading instruction, with a goal of improving reading skills among New Hampshire youth.
“By building knowledge of the science of reading among educators, parents and caregivers, the department aims to support literacy recovery needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said McKenzie Snow, director of the Division of Learner Support.
According to the 2021 Statewide Assessment results, about 52% of New Hampshire students scored proficient in reading. Out of the grades tested, third-graders scored 44% proficient, fourth-graders scored 49% proficient, fifth-graders scored 54% proficient, sixth- and seventh-graders scored 51% proficient, eighth-graders scored 49% proficient and eleventh-graders scored 63% proficient.
The Department hopes the trainings will help educators identify and help students who struggle to read, and ultimately improve student outcomes and academic achievement.
Since 2014, New Hampshire K-8 teachers, early childhood teachers and reading specialists have been required to pass the Foundations of Reading test to become licensed. Snow said that because many New Hampshire teachers are already certified, the Department will provide “substantial stipends” to those who complete a science of reading training and pass a corresponding Foundations of Reading exam.
Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said the Department aims to train 4,500 educators in the first year of the initiative, and 4,500 in the second year.
“Encouraging children to have a healthy passion for reading will help them excel in school, support other areas of their learning and set them up for future success,” Edelblut said. “Strong literacy skills are vital for children, and are skills that are applicable throughout their entire lifetimes.”
This article is being shared by a partner in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.
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