TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

For most Kern County residents with school-age children, another academic year is finished, and hopefully, curriculum goals met. One prevalent goal in many Kern schools is a reading program, as well it should be. The way I see it, if inmates can go from thug to scholar in a few years thanks to prison library literature, then we, too, should shove books in our children's hands when they're bored or in lockdown.

San Lauren Elementary School has what is called an Accelerated Reader program. Principal Terri Chamberlin described the AR program as follows: "The premise behind the program is a student will read a book and then take a test to see how much of the book they recall. The students, first-sixth grade, earn points for reading and successfully passing a comprehension test. With those points they can earn prizes."

Personally, this seems an easy enough goal. I consider an entry-level first grade read to be: "The happy puppy slept. The happy puppy ate. The happy puppy messed on the floor."

A first-grader can easily knock out one of those books each day. By that math, even if they don't start reading until December, they can reach the 100 book goal by the end of May. Higher grades have harder books, but it's no less attainable since their reading skills have improved. Yet, not all students meet the goal. According to Principal Chamberlin only 45 percent do.

But why?

If you feel like blaming the school, think again. In my estimation, the only time a healthy, responsive child fails an attainable goal is when that child's parents first failed him or her -- thinking their child's education is the school's responsibility, not theirs.

This last school year, my eldest was in a classroom of, at times, 34 students. At first, I was worried. How would he learn anything? How would the teacher keep tabs on him? How would he walk to the pencil sharpener without stepping on someone's lunch?

Later, I was glad for what I call my "wake-up call." If not for the fear my child would slip through the cracks, I wouldn't have realized I'm the captain of my child's education, not the passenger. His teacher, meanwhile, is the navigator. She tells me where I need to go, which way to steer my efforts and I have two choices: put my kid on autopilot and hope he lands in the right spot, or take the controls in my own hands and make my child fly.

Principal Chamberlin said, "I believe parental support leads to student success at school. For the students to achieve the 100 book/point milestone, they will need to have the encouragement of school and the support from home. It is a partnership for our students' success."

San Lauren AR program coordinator and first grade teacher Pati Jones, said, "We have some students that never earn a (reward). Students (and parents) have to be motivated to make the goal. I think parents and teachers help students become enthusiastic about reading."

I asked Mrs. Jones if she saw a correlation between enthusiastic readers and overall academic performance. She said, "Yes, most students performing well academically also reach their AR book/points goal."

If you ever think the public school system is failing your child, first ask yourself how much time you, personally, are devoting to make sure your child reads, writes and performs math correctly. Sure, the lack of budgets, overcrowding and social nuances like bullying and drugs hamper a child's shot at education, but make no mistake about it: Your child's education begins and ends in your home.

Maybe it's because I only have little boys who'd rather scare birds from their nests than sit down and read, but I'm of the opinion that if someone in my house isn't calling me a slave driver at least once a week, I'm doing something wrong; I'm probably not doing enough.

I challenge you to make your kids pout during these next couple of months of summer. Make them read a book instead of playing Wii. Heck, give them a math quiz on the 4th of July: If Tommy had 10 fingers before he lit Daddy's illegal firework, how many fingers did he have after?

Bottom line is that your children will emulate you. If you have a hand in their education, inevitably they'll bury their own hands within it, digging up all sorts of treasures they would never find otherwise.

Besides, you wouldn't want your child to be someone who done can't read good. D'ya?

***

On a different note, I want to extend my deepest gratitude toward everyone who took time out of their busy lives to vote for me in the 2011 Best of Kern Reader's Choice Poll, helping me land "favorite" in the Best Newspaper Columnist section. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I'm humbled and thrilled. And, if I'm being candid, squealing was involved. Then I told my husband it wasn't very masculine of him and he stopped.

I'm kidding. I was the one squealing.

-- Heather Ijames is one of three community columnists whose work appears here every Saturday. These are the opinions of Ijames, not necessarily The Californian's. You can send e-mail to her at hijames@bakersfield.com. Next week: Inga Barks.