U.S. 4th graders improve in reading, math

Dr. Veda Jairrels

In 2011, students in more than 50 countries were tested, and U.S. fourth-graders improved in reading and math, according to Jack Buckley, the commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics. These findings have just been released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Parents are encouraged to read to their children, and one professor says that at least 2000 books should be read to a child before age six. 

“Non-required or pleasure reading is a must, for reading done for school may not be enough," said Dr. Veda Jairrels, professor of Exceptional Education at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga. Jairrels is the author of "African Americans and Standardized Tests: the Real Reason for Low Test Scores."

A discussion of the latest international assessments of reading, math and science, and the U.S. results for fourth- and eighth-graders will occur Friday, January 18 at 9:15 a.m. on C-SPAN’s “America by the Numbers” segment on its “Washington Journal” show. Calls from the public will be taken.  

For more information on this topic, go to: http://www.c-span.org/Series/Washington-Journal/.