Does your state have the five student rights in place?

1. M ost children can, and do, learn to read and write and many are learning. But too many children read and write poorly. When our schools fail to teach any child to read and write, they fail all of us. We must ensure that all children receive the excellent instruction and support they need to learn to read and write. In this document, the International Reading Association reviews the challenges schools face and outlines support children need to become competent readers and writers.

2. Students have the right to be taught reading by certified teachers who have taken two or more courses in the teaching of reading and/or who have demonstrated their proficiency in the teaching of reading. 1

3. Students who struggle as readers have the right to receive additional help from qualified reading specialists. 2

4. Students have a right to access a wide variety of books and other reading materials in classroom and school library media centers. 3

5. Students have the right to be taught beginning reading through methods chosen on the basis of their needs as learners. 4

6. Students have the right to reading assessment with multiple methods that provide information about their strengths and needs as learners, involve them in making decisions about their own learning, and lead to clear implications for instruction. 5

7. Does your state have the five student rights in place? Please nominate them for the Five Star Policy Recognition Award. This award is presented to states and/or provinces that have adopted and implement policies that support effective literacy instruction for all children by honoring their rights to excellent literacy instruction. For more information please go to www.reading.org or contact Kathy Baughman at kbaughman@reading.org.