skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, March 8, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

3 days in, Trump is backtracking on his tariffs on Mexico and Canada; AL faith leaders call for more congressional oversight of Trump team; Court rules MS Legislature not a 'public body,' allows closed-door meetings; WI group pitches in to help voters share views with reps in Congress.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Democrats push back on Trump s order to dismantle the Department of Education, red states aim to deny public education to undocumented children and the Wisconsin Supreme Court election could be the most expensive judicial race in history.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Immigrant communities are getting advice from advocates as the reach of ICE expands, experts in rural America urge lawmakers to ramp up protections against elder abuse, and a multi-state arts projects seeks to close the urban-rural divide.

Educators hope National Reading Month will raise lN literacy scores

play audio
Play

Friday, March 15, 2024   

March is National Reading Month, and educators say most schoolchildren in Indiana and across the country are reading at or below a basic level for their age.

It's estimated that 25 million children in the United States don't read as well as they should, making it difficult for them to succeed in school and also later in life. The group Reading is Fundamental has said a student's lack of age-appropriate literacy is often a combination of their family's economic status and flaws in the education system.

Andrea Stefanski, an associate professor of elementary education at Ball State University, said there are often major hurdles to overcome.

"I think those families that are struggling the most already because of socioeconomic challenges, there's assumptions that are sometimes made about them, that they don't care or they're not involved," she said. "But I think that largely they do care, and they may even have a better understanding of the importance of literacy."

According to a 2022 national reading "report card," 67% of all fourth graders were testing below their grade level. Black students scored 29 points below white students, and Latino students scored 13 points lower.

Stefanski said many Indiana teachers and students are still trying to catch up after falling behind during the pandemic. She explained Indiana schools began a new reading program in 2019, just before students were sent home during the quarantine, which has put a lot of pressure on educators.

"Right now, I'm seeing a trend where those that are in the lowest percentile - here in Indiana particularly - are getting virtually ignored," she said, "because they're focusing on children that are closest to bringing up those test-passing rates."

Stefanski considers it extremely important for parents to be involved in their child's reading education. She said the family needs to set an example as readers, and reading with their children, and should communicate with teachers and school administrators.

"I would encourage parents to be asking questions of their school about their children's progress," she added, "and making sure that all of the children are making progress, and that the schools can provide evidence of that."


get more stories like this via email

more stories
On March 7, 1965, police and state troopers brutally attacked civil rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Known as Bloody Sunday, the violence left many injured and sparked national outrage, fueling the fight for voting rights. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Sixty years ago this weekend, young activists marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, demanding their right to vote and changing …


Social Issues

play sound

As new federal policies and proposed funding cuts spark confusion and chaos, Wisconsinites are looking to voice their concerns to their elected …

Environment

play sound

Wisconsin's largest utility provider is seeking approval for a new gas plant to help meet growing electricity demand, but a new report argues there …


Environment

play sound

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration…

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, in 2023, 12% of people in West Virginia prisons were over age 55, and the average age of state prisoners was 39. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Social Issues

play sound

A bill pending in the West Virginia Legislature would increase the length of penalties for "serious" felony convictions, but critics have said it …

Social Issues

play sound

More testimony was heard yesterday about term limit reforms in North Dakota, an issue voters around the state might have to decide again. In 2022…

Social Issues

play sound

Faith leaders across Alabama are raising concerns about what they see as an overreach of executive power, urging the state's congressional delegation …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021