Victoria Times Colonist

A Head Start For Kids

Many students entering university have poor literacy skills; professors say the problem starts at home

Grania Litwin
Times Colonist

High school students entering university have deplorable writing, reading and comprehension skills, says English professor Bernie Gaidosch, who believes the problem stretches back to lack of structure in elementary school, and parents who don't set strong educational role models for kids in high school.

A typical student entering a Canadian university today reads and writes at the Grade 8 or 9 level, says Gaidosch, who has taught English at George Brown College in Toronto since 1976 and written several books and manuals on learning.

A slim consolation is that the situation is even worse in the United States, where an American colleague at Buffalo State College recently told him students' entry-level skills are at Grade 6 or 7.

Gaidosch says rising university entrance requirements -- which have rocketed from an average of 74 to 84 in 10 years -- do not reflect competence in English, yet that's what most employers put at the top of their wish lists.

Gaidosch explains parents don't need to hire private tutors or special coaches; they just need to parent better -- and the earlier they start the faster their children will develop good habits, attitudes and skills.

In a new four-CD set called The Professor's Secrets Junior Edition -- A Parent's Guide to What's Not Apparent, Gaidosch offers tips, techniques, strategies and skills to get kids on track for success in college and university.

His tips cover everything from memorization and research to math skills, study skills and time management. His website is www.iwanttopmarks.com

Another key point is to build a learning-team triangle -- made up of teacher, student and parent -- right from the start and through Grade 12. "It helps children if they see their parents are part of the team. It shows they value school activity. That mirroring impact on the child is enormous."

Most parents, he points out, are keen as mustard in the early grades but their interest fades by high school and when kids get to university, Gaidosch says they have no interest in relating to their professors.

"I always make myself ultra-available. I virtually beg kids to come and see me, give them my office hours, e-mail, voicemail. But rarely do any come, because they have not been shown the value by their parents. I tell my students they are paying $5,000 a year for tuition and they should get value for their money. It's like there's a sale on at Zellers but they don't go because they have not modelled that behaviour.

"You don't have to be a manic obsessive hockey-type parent," he stresses. "I'm talking about a quiet, gentle level of ongoing interest in a child's education. When a kid doesn't pick up on that over time they lose focus."

Professor Susan Doyle, UVic's new director of writing within the department of English, agrees some students entering university these days have almost no literacy skills. "We see many who wouldn't have attended university in decades past, who don't think they need reading and writing skills."

She, too, traces the problem back to early years. "I don't think anything is more valuable than seeing parents read and write, to see it as part of professional and personal life.

"The time parents spend reading to their children is a very strong indicator of how well they will do in school and university, and it's very hard for students to recover that time if it wasn't spent with them."

Early help with reading and writing amounts to a head-start of "thousands of hours of literacy training," she says, adding she can't think of a simpler thing to do, that would have a greater impact on a child's success.

Positive role models are important not only to "show good literacy behaviour" but also to help students avoid passivity, she notes. "The students who are the weakest in English are also the ones who have the most difficulty identifying what the trouble is, what to do, where to go for help."

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Here are some simple tips from professor Bernie Gaidosch for starting out right in the early school years:

- Parents should set up a homework space that is not in a common area, not a traffic area like the kitchen.

- The ideal is to divide a child's room into thirds, with one area for sleeping, one for entertainment and a third for homework. It should have a desk, shelves, chair, good lighting, dictionary and a visually sharp appearance. This sends a strong signal.

- Organize a schedule for homework. Look at the attention span of the child, when he or she eats meals, does sports, or needs TV time or personal time, and work out what's best. Then be consistent. Structure is important and too many kids today are free-floating.

- Set the tone during the formative years of Grades 1 and 2 with 10 to 15 minutes spent every day, at the same time, at the desk. Work with the child on reading, writing, building basic skills. Increase that time by about 15 minutes per grade.

- Don't do your kid's homework, unless a teacher asks.

The Professor's Secrets materials are self-published and produced. They're not in bookstores. They're currently available by calling 1-877-439-3999 or online at www.iwanttopmarks.com

To top of page.

Home | Who Is Professor Bernie? | Media Coverage | Comments | Contact Professor Bernie | The Professor's Secrets Success-In-School Senior Edition For High School, College & University Students | The Professor's Secrets Junior Edition For Grades 1 - 6