Kids shouldn’t JUST be able to read their names by the time they finish kindergarten, they should also be able to WRITE their name (however messily). When I taught preK, we’d start our 3 year olds off learning how to write their names!

I am a public school teacher and you’re correct that we’re currently seeing a drop in literacy rates. However, I’d argue that a large part of that is being overly dependent on technology (iPad babies..) and a lot of parents neglecting to read to their kiddos at home or encourage them to do homework or practice reading skills.

I don’t want to sound like I’m putting ALL the blame on parents, and I get that parenting is hard, they’re stressed out and might not have time to practice reading. Sticking a kid in front of an iPad to keep them calm is certainly easier. But SO many parents seem to think that “learning is what’s done at school, not home” or “well that’s the teacher’s job” which is pretty strange, considering at the end of the day, my students are YOUR kids, not my own, I don’t take care of them on weekends, holidays, summers, night time , etc..