Budget Bulletin: Helping Children Learn to Read

Making sure Nova Scotian children get what they need to learn to read, early on, is the goal of a significant new package of educational programming funded in this year's budget.

The new Active Young Reader program, for children in Grade Primary through Grade 3, is the centrepiece. It includes new books and other resources to inspire young readers and additional support for teachers to promote best practices in teaching children to read. The goals of the program are to help all children read by the end of Grade 1 and to ensure they can apply their reading skills in any subject by Grade 3.

In addition, the highly successful Reading Recovery program is being expanded to reach more areas and more children across the province. Reading Recovery has an 80 per cent rate of success in putting children with reading problems back on track. Children in need of help are identified in Grade 1, and teachers trained in Reading Recovery provide that help.

This year is the first year for the new, comprehensive literacy strategy, and $1.5 million has been allocated for these programs.

Literacy is the foundation of learning. The province plans to focus on reading and writing skills in future testing. All students must be literate before they leave the school system. A testing system will be designed to fulfil that objective.

NOTE: For other 2000-01 budget information, visit the Department of Finance website at www.gov.ns.ca/finance .