The Science of Reading: Parents of New York City schools students must stay involved
NEW YORK -- It can be hard for some parents to have conversations with their kids about how they're doing in school.
Many parents are being left in the dark.
As part of CBS New York's ongoing education series "The Science of Reading," we're looking into how parents can get break through.
We spoke to parents in a variety of situations, some knowing their child is in a good place in city public schools, and some who had already removed their child from the system. The common thread is parents need to be as involved as possible.
Jarring numbers show a disconnect. According to the organization Learning Heroes, 93% of K-12 parents in the city believe their child is at or above grade level in reading. The reality is just 55% of students are. So how can so many parents just not know?
"Parents don't want to acknowledge something is 'wrong' with their child," said Jenny Ulloa, whose son has dyslexia.
That's one of the many possible reasons mentioned by parents that we spoke to. Advocates for Children spoke to more as documented in a report chronicling the experiences of parents. The report is designed to make recommendation to city schools.
"One of the things we heard from a lot of the parents was that they were worried they didn't know the right questions to ask," lead author Maggie Moroff said. "What the schools said to them was, 'Read with your child,' and they wanted more than that, needed more than that, and just kept hitting walls."
To say when it comes to literacy that the experiences of parents is a wide spectrum is an understatement. Some parents find their kids have all they need at the school they're in. Some find what their child needs on Google, or finding places like Read 718 in Brooklyn.
"With reading especially, it's one of those things where you have to crack that code," said Chatisha Hoston, who decided to homeschool her dyslexic son. "'We'll meet you where you are!,' like those mission statements. But no, you should be reading like Tom and Sue, like you know?"
"I kind of stepped down from my full-time job to do this and one of the things I found out was that I am my child's biggest advocate, and nobody is going to advocate for my child better than I can," Hoston added.
Not every parent can be a full-time advocate for their child, but learning the truth about your child's classroom progress requires your involvement and participation.
"Even though our daughter is at a great school and is doing really well academically, we have to keep up with these ways of learning and these new ways of learning that aren't familiar to us," said Carli Brinkman, a mother of a fourth grader at Public School 075 on the Upper West Side.
CBS New York asked advocates for children for some advice for any parents watching at home. They said to make sure school staff hear you and include you as your child learns to read. Parents are often hesitant to draw attention to their child having an issue, and, as we'll explore in our next piece on dyslexia, stigmas remain a hurdle.