At the beginning of this school year, Chance Shaw could not read.

Shaw transferred into the third grade this year from a Natchez area private school.

His teacher, LaTarsha Thomas, said his reading skills were so poor, he could not read the simplest words, such as “hat” or “and.”

Thomas and others worked with Shaw intensely during the entire school year to improve his reading skills, and on his second attempt, Shaw passed the Mississippi-mandated third-grade reading assessment test and will be promoted to fourth grade next year.

Thomas praised Shaw’s commitment to improving his reading skills.

The Natchez-Adams School District is placing much emphasis on making certain its students have the proper reading skills, and rightly so. The familiar phrase, “Reading is fundamental,” is true. Good reading skills are the cornerstones of every child’s education.

But you can help, too. Talk to your child’s teachers and be involved in their education. Start your children off early as readers. Find a consistent time each day and read to them. Get them engaged with books from an early age.

Summertime is the perfect time to show your child the pure pleasure of reading. Make sure they participate in summer reading programs such as the ones at the Judge Armstrong Library in Natchez or any of the branches of the Concordia Parish Library.

Without the ability to read, children will struggle with every aspect of education, while a love of reading will benefit your children for a lifetime.