Mary Sanchez’s column “High dropout rate hits all of us in pocketbook” (11/23, Opinion) did not get to the root of the problem. Up until the early 1930s, children were taught to read by learning the sounds of each letter and the rules that applied. They basically learned the “code.” Students learned to read very well. Look at the vocabulary used in books published in the early 1900s.
A child comes to the first grade with a speaking vocabulary of several thousand words. Why not teach these students the alphabet letters representing speech sounds and teach him what letters represent what sounds instead of forcing the child to memorize the shape of a word and then guess what it represents?
If you want help, a free resource is available at www.readingstore.com. Don’t let your son or daughter fail because of a failed system.
Jana Springer
Overland Park
Kee what do you mean? Fathers are to blame?
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | December 01, 2009 at 08:44 AM
A 50% graduation rate has many fathers, unlike the poor kids placed in that situation.
Posted by: Kee | November 30, 2009 at 09:33 AM
Its Obamas fault that the Aliens wont visit us anymore.
Posted by: Keith Williams3 | November 30, 2009 at 08:50 AM
Note: Reading is not imprtant, just ask Congress and the Prez. They fail to read what they sign off on.
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | November 30, 2009 at 07:59 AM
The problem is deeper than even that. Look at what the mentality has become in our social fabric. Public education has become mroe about power, indoctrination and social fairness not to mention revenue.
There is absolutely no reason the vast majority of population in this nation should not be informed and educated. It's not a failed system, it's a failed socil mentality. Go figure, with reality television and gangsta hip hop mentality running amuck.
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | November 30, 2009 at 07:59 AM