The Mississippi Department of Education will be meeting with parents of kindergarten through 3rd grade students as part of its efforts to help districts implement the Literacy-Based Promotion Act.

The legislation requires that 3rd grade students who do not meet reading standards by the end of the 3rd grade be held back a year.

Parents will receive an overview of the legislation and a sample test, as well as strategies that can be used to help improve literacy for children.

“Parents are their child’s first teacher, and reading with children is a proven way to promote early literacy,” said Dr. Kymyona Burk, state literacy director. “By reading with children for 20 minutes per day and making a few simple strategies a part of their daily routine, parents can make a positive impact on their child’s success in school.”

The dates for the meetings are:

Feb. 16: Oxford (Oxford Conference Center)

Feb. 21: Jackson (North, McWillie Elementary School)

Feb. 21: Jackson (South, Bates Elementary School)

Feb. 21: Meridian (MSU Kahlmus Auditorium)

Feb. 23: Gulfport (Harrison County School District Center for Excellence)

Feb. 27: Cleveland (Delta State University Jacob Center, Ewing Hall)

Feb. 28: Hattiesburg, Woodall Center

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Kate Royals is a Jackson native and became Mississippi Today’s first community health editor in January 2022. She returned to Mississippi Today as the lead education reporter after serving in the same capacity from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, she was a reporter for the Clarion-Ledger covering education and state government. She won awards for her investigative work, including stories about the state’s campaign finance laws and prison system. She was a news producer at MassLive in Springfield, Mass., after graduating from Louisiana State University’s Manship School of Mass Communications with a master’s degree in communications.