Jennifer Ledwith

They have to be able to comprehend.

And I'm going to tell you something.

The prevailing attitudes in school and in society is that from birth to the third grade, students are

Learning to read.

And then from from third grade on, the students should be reading to learn.

Now, what happens when the students haven't learned to read by third grade and then they're left out there reading to learn?

Well, I'm going to tell you what happens.

What happens is up to the parent, because as well meaning as our educators are, they are they are not going to care about this literacy issue more than you do.

They are not going to care about your child being able to read more than you will care about your child being able to read.

And I'm not casting anybody as a villain or hero or anything.

I'm just saying that this is your child.

This is your priority.

You have to make just like those parents, get those babies down there to play football or hockey or golf or swim or competitive dance or competitive cheer.

People have to bring that same energy to literacy.

And when I talk about literacy, it is, do your children comprehend what they are reading?

Not, can they call words?

Because I can read, my sister is a chemical engineer.

One day I was being silly.

I don't know what passes for fun in my family.

But one day I was reading her textbook for thermodynamics.