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WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, HERE'S WHAT AMERICA NEEDS TO HEAR
- Question, Where do most of us agree? What are some of the points we can tackle together?
- Answer, Reading. I want all our kids to be taught how to read. This is how you provide all kids with massive academic success. Lack of massive academic success plagues far to many young people. I want to start here.
- Question, What else must kids learn in school?
- Answer, How to read, write, listen, speak, organize information, study and do math. This is how you provide all kids with massive academic success.
- Question, Is that it?
- Answer, No, they also need help learning how to start on time, stay on task, complete assignments. This is how you provide all kids with massive academic success.
This is the target. Keep your eye on teaching all kis to read.
MORE ABOUT POLICY
When searching for an education policy, here's what you and I need to hear:I want a nation where all our children are taught the basic academic skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, information organization, study skills and math. I want them to experience massive academic success with all these skills. These skills are key to productivity and holding jobs with a future. We're not going to get much productivity from young people who can't read - and currently we're about 46th in the world among all the other industrialized nations.
Next, I want all our children to learn the three behaviors associated with success: how to start on time, stay on task, complete assignments. Learning these behaviors is key to success and holding jobs with a future.
How are we going to teach all kids to read? It requires a massive and ongoing retraining of all teachers and parents. Lucky are those exposed to the humanity and success of Brainsarefun where teachers become master teachers with a real theory of instruction, no matter what subject is being taught. A good teacher is one whose students increase their ability to read, write, listen, speak, organize information, study and do math -- no matter what else is being taught.
This should be the primary job of the Department of Education: to publicize what it takes to be a master teacher.
This should be the primary job of our schools: to teach all kids the basic skills and behaviors to mastery. Why are we 46th in the world?
TEACHING KIDS TO READ IS NOT HARD.
I can imagine a question and answer period between President Obama, parents, politicians, administrators, teachers, students, going something like this.
QUESTION: Mr. President, What are the most important issues facing Americans today?
ANSWER: They are always the same: the economy, security, democracy, defending the Constitution, the family, children, education, health care reform, the well-being of the elderly, illegal immigration, honesty and integrity, energy, the environment... The order changes, but not the list.
QUESTION: Tell us your education policy.
ANSWER: My policy is simple, I am committed to teaching all children to read. All students can learn how to read, write, listen, speak, organize information, study and do math. In addition, teachers, administrators, students must learn how to start on time, stay on task, complete assignments. These are the skills and behaviors associated with success in any venture, and can be mastered at all levels, kindergarten through post-graduate university and the board room.
QUESTION: You haven't mentioned class size, teacher salaries, computers, more schools, better benefits?
ANSWER: These are all important issues, but they must not be allowed to take the focus off of what we must do immediately. Our children must be taught to read. This is the focus of my education policy, all will flow from this focused effort. As teachers learn how to effectively teach skills to mastery, all else shall follow. Academic success is self-affirming and leads to more success.
QUESTION: What about foreign languages, sports, sciences, history, all the other subjects a student must study?
ANSWER: You have just put your finger on it. You used the word "study." I agree that well-educated people must study everything they can get their hand son. But, it's hard to study if you don't know how to read. Teach the basic skills and behaviors, and teach them to mastery, reinforcing them no matter what subject is being taught, at all grade levels, right through college and into the work place. This is the cornerstone of my education policy. I'm all for history, sports, and all the other things you mentioned. But something has gone wrong. Too many of our kids believe education isn't really for them, their teachers and parents fail to teach them to read, they fail, they drop out. There is no skill that provides so many with so much as reading. Kids must get the chance to experience real, solid academic success with reading. This starts with learning how to read, from teachers who are master reading teachers and who have been trained to teach reading to virtually anyone.
This is what I am going to do as President: I am going to teach all kids to read by making heroes out of those schools and superintendents and teachers who learn how to teach reading that leads to massive academic success.
I am going to make sure that parents know the skills their children must learn - no matter if they attend a private school, a public school, a magnet school, a parochial school, a charter school, an alternative school, a special-education school, a free-school, a school with vouchers, an inner-city school, a country-day school, an Accelerated School, Outward Bound... whatever. All of our children must learn the fundamental academic skills and behaviors. This is the key to their future and our nation's future. I am going to take the emphasis off homework and put it back on the classroom and back on parents. Parents READ ALOUD TO YOUR KIDS. Teachers and parents go to Brainsarefun.
Our children simply can't be allowed to graduate from elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, without mastering the three fundamental behaviors associated with success; HOW TO START ON TIME, STAY ON TASK, COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS. We can no longer afford to graduate students who are virtually illiterate when it comes to reading and writing and solving mathematical equations. The place to begin is not with new buildings. It takes months and years to build a new school building and our children aren't learning to read and write and do math in the buildings we already have. My education policy is to begin by teaching kids to read, beginning today. I'm going to stay on task and recommend one free website that provides solutions for kids today: Brainsarefun. Parents, begin by reading aloud to your children tonight.
What's the answer, "Teach our kids to read!"
Yes. That's right. "Teach our kids to read."
Thank you.- end of article -
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE: AN EDUCATION POLICY FOR POLITICIANS © January, 2003 by Rory Donaldson. All rights reserved. In order to help reverse the tide of academic failure and optimize success, individuals may copy Brainsarefun solutions for non-commercial use at no charge. Contents may not be sold or repackaged in any manner without the written permission of Rory Donaldson. Since all material is copyrighted, please ensure that this entire copyright notice and contact information continues to be attached to each article you download. Mr. Donaldson appreciates the feedback. Additional solutions may be viewed and downloaded at no charge by logging on to brainsarefun.com. Titles are being updated, edited and added regularly. To view most recently added titles you may click here.
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