Mississippi reading scores make progress over last decade

West Lowndes Elementary teachers said many factors go into ensuring the students are successful.

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – September 8 is International Literacy Day. It’s set aside to observe the importance of literacy and celebrate it as a human right.

Over the last decade, reading scores have dramatically progressed in the State of Mississippi. Some of that can be attributed to the Mississippi Academic Assessment.

In the state of Mississippi, for students to advance from the third grade to the fourth grade, they must pass the Mississippi Academic Assessment to ensure their reading skills are where they should be.

According to the Associated Press, Mississippi has surpassed 28 states for fourth-grade reading scores within the last year.

Many point to the Mississippi Academic Assessment as a major factor in that improvement.

To advance to the fourth grade, students must pass this reading test.

Third-grade teachers at West Lowndes Elementary School Josephine Sherrod and Lesley Jones, said many factors go into ensuring the students are successful.

“Everything that we do, reading is incorporated,” Sherrod said. “To prepare them for it, we try to teach them key details. Make sure you know what your question is asking you by breaking that question down.”

“It takes a lot of hard work and team effort, not just from myself, [but from] the teachers,” Jones said. “It takes the parents, the whole staff cause we’re in this together to make sure the kids are successful.”

Susie Rushing teaches first grade at West Lowndes. She said the state test is discussed with parents years before they have to take it, so they can get on board with shaping reading habits at a young age.

“We explain to them, when they go to third grade, about the third-grade reading gate test, and we give them strategies they can use at home,” Rushing said. “Mostly they all by the end of first grade, we have them all reading on grade level.”

West Lowndes Elementary School Librarian Spence Andrews said reading is important for all ages, and keeping them motivated to read is a huge part of the process.

“Motivation is the most difficult part because we live in a swipe-and-tap generation,” Andrews said. “So getting kids back to print, to holding that book. I start with the younger kids. I love to read the picture books, and act it out, and sometimes even dress up for the occasion to show them, this is what lies within those pages.”

Sherrod said this can be a stressful process, but the reward makes it all worth it.

“In the end, it’s a great feeling seeing all those children pass that test,” Sherrod said.

The teachers said throughout the school year, they check in with each student to see where they are struggling and what they need to improve on to keep them moving forward.

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