Don’t Start Reading Tests in Third Grade, End Them There
There are two big problems with existing test-driven accountability schemes in reading. First, the high-stakes reading tests our kids take in elementary and middle school really don’t test what we think they do. Even worse, by the time those tests diagnose reading difficulties in third grade, it’s incredibly hard for schools and teachers to help pull kids out of the spiral of reading failure that began years ago – often before kids came to school for the first time. To understand these problems, it’s helpful to address some common misconceptions about reading.