Kansas Universities pressed to upgrade teacher preparation in science of reading.
TOPEKA — A group of Republican legislators expressed frustration state universities in Kansas wouldn’t begin requiring until August 2024 that education students complete two courses in the science of reading instruction despite evidence more of the state’s K-12 students lacked proficiency in reading.
Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Republican from Eudora, said Kansas teachers must be able to recognize when curriculum was failing a student.
Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said teaching children to read had to be the top priority in Kansas elementary schools.
“What have the teacher colleges been doing to prepare elementary school teachers to teach reading?
Read more from this article in Kansas Reflector published Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
https://kansasreflector.com/2023/10/11/kansas-gop-legislators-press-universities-to-upgrade-teacher-preparation-in-science-of-reading/
AUTHOR: Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.
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The push to make science of reading a requirement in Kansas teacher prep programs is overdue, and the frustration from legislators is understandable when reading proficiency has been slipping for years. Structured literacy backed by research should be the baseline, not an afterthought. Parents and educators wanting to reinforce those skills outside the classroom have more options than ever, and Brilliant Org reviews offer a look at how users rate their interactive lessons for building foundational thinking skills. Strong reading instruction and engaged learning at home work best together.
The goal is straightforward: teachers entering Kansas classrooms should have the knowledge and practical skills needed to help Word hurdle students become successful readers.
The shift toward requiring two science-of-reading courses is a significant change for teacher preparation programs. How are Kansas universities changing their coursework beyond those two required classes to give future elementary teachers enough hands-on practice identifying and addressing reading difficulties? FNF