Reading Program Gives Students Bump in Test Scores

Students in the literacy program work on a reading activity.

Mississippi is near the bottom of many education rankings. A program incorporation reading education in pre-kindergarten students could help change that. MPB’s Stephen Koranda reports.

The interactive preschool reading program uses special television segments from the PBS children’s show Between the Lions, and integrates them with lessons in places like daycares, to get children ready to read and learn.

Susan Zelman is senior vice president with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, she says this is a new method of merging educational TV and classrooms, and can turn daycare centers into child-learning centers.

“In fact it becomes a new day of learning for children. From the time they get up in the morning to the time they go to bed at night. They can view the program on TV. Clips are inside the curriculum in the classroom. They have online work on the computer and handheld devices, which reinforces their skills,” says Zelman.

A study released this week shows children who participated in the program scored around 20 percentage points higher in tests where they identify letters and letter sounds. The educators are hoping these early improvements can help reduce dropouts later. Blake Wilson, President of the Mississippi Economic Council, says Reducing the dropout rate is an important part of keeping an educated workforce, which is needed to attract high-tech jobs to Mississippi.

“If we’re going to compete in a global economy, we can’t just have low-wage, low-skill jobs. We’ve got to have higher-tech, higher-skill jobs, and that means keeping kids in school,” says Wilson.

Similar programs are being used in more than 15 states, and Zelman hopes it can continue to grow from there.