Their family situations can be such that the parents need to work two jobs, or that there may only be one parent in the household. These children also have special needs that a teacher must meet in order for those students to become effective learners. For these issues to be understood and resolved, we need more and better professional development for teachers. Honoring Children's Rights to Excellent Reading Instruction. We have developed this position statement because meeting the challenges of teaching children to read and write in the 21st century will require a fundamental change in how policy makers, parents, and school professionals look at improving schools.
Children have a right to appropriate early reading instruction based on their individual needs.
Children have a right to reading instruction that builds both skill and the desire to read increasingly complex materials. Children have a right to well-prepared teachers who keep their skills up to date through effective professional development. Children have the right of access to a wide variety of books and other reading material in the classroom, school and community libraries. Children have a right to reading assessment that identifies their strengths as well as their needs and involves them in making decisions about their own learning. Children have a right to supplemental instruction from professionals specifically prepared to teach reading.