Reading by 4th Grade vs. Reading by 4-Years Old

It’s hard for me to get excited about this whole “every kid will be able to read by third grade or he/she won’t be promoted to the next grade level” proposal when my four-year-old son just came in, hopped up on my lap, and read the entire 32-page Volume 2 “Dick and Jane” book. Seriously, folks. Reading isn’t rocket surgery.

And I heard a charter school exec tell us last week that government schools in California, where he’s from, actually DISCOURAGE teaching kids how to read in kindergarten. The education schools think kids that age should focus on developing socialization skills first and then start learning to read in the first grade. We have met the enemy; and it’s the public school “professionals.” Oh, and the teachers union!