RE “MCAS results paint mixed picture’’ (Page A1, Sept. 9): It is disappointing, but not surprising, that the latest MCAS results show scant progress on third-grade reading after a decade of effort. That 39 percent of third-graders read below grade level bodes poorly if we hope to make progress toward improved educational outcomes for older children.
The solution to this problem must start long before children enter kindergarten. Reading skills are built on the foundation of early language, social, and emotional development. Children who experience language-enriched environments and nurturing relationships in the first few years of life are much more likely to achieve literacy by third grade.
