In Deborah Hicks’ Reading Lives, Chapters 3 and 4, we learn how young Laurie must negotiate between her home and school discourse while filling her needs of power and belonging in both worlds. She is obviously not fulfilled at home because of the absence of a father figure, who, in her fantasy, should be there to take care of her family both emotionally and financially. She shows signs of frustration with her position in the family, the oldest of three young children, and in the classroom where her friends’ acceptance is inconsistent. As with bell hooks’ childhood, Laurie uses fantasy in literacy practices to escape a lonely and conflicted life. Although Laurie does not have to deal with race, she is struggling with class and gender, both in her home discourse and at school. To mask her struggling academics, she resorts to being a good girl to win acceptance by her teachers and peers. While writing seems to give her an outlet for her imagination of good vs. evil and emotional needs, she finds difficulty in reading text that does not provide meaningful connections to her real life.
The first grade practices described in chapter 4 did not provide instructional material for individualized learning and provided Laurie with further setbacks as she was not able to maintain the linear path of development designed by the basal series. I have always taught using guided reading groups and find success working on a student’s instructional level rather than grade level material. We use the basal readers and Scholastic News for shared reading to expose all students to grade level material but the core of our instructional language arts block is constructed through leveled texts. I was glad to learn her second grade teacher used writing and reading workshops to meet the needs of different students. It was also a red flag when I read how Laurie’s motivation changed from just being a “good girl” that disguised her inadequacies with cooperative behavior to actually becoming a better student of literacy. When she thought she would soon have the father she dreamed of, her writing improved and she became more interested in the literacy rather than just pretending. This illustrated how important the home discourse becomes when students are functioning in another discourse. With Deborah Hicks tutoring Laurie, the small reading group she participated in, and her mother reading with her every night, I wonder what else could be put in place for Laurie to improve her literacy practice. Although her home discourse was conflicting to her actual fantasies of life on the farm or with her mom getting married, she did not appear to be abused or neglected. Could there be a learning disability that is difficult to diagnose in the K-2 years because of developmental delays in some children? Did she actually suffer from ADD or from frustration? Whatever the cause of her stagnant literacy skills, there are many students in our classrooms suffering from the same lack of confidence and success in today’s fast paced and demanding curriculums. Learning about our students' home discourse can help educators motivate those students who struggle with literacy skills in the classroom.
Michelle Carlson
Comments (4)
Michelle,
I was also distressed when reading about the literacy instruction in Laurie's first grade year. I think that it is so important for us to recognize that many of our students cannot be successful if we keep them on that "linear path." Our literacy instruction should never take the "one size fits all" approach. Fortunately, I think that most educators today are aware of the necessity of individualized instruction and appropriate, leveled reading material and do employ guided reading groups. As one other person mentioned in her post, perhaps it was too late for Laurie in that respect, but certainly in time for many others!
Posted by Leslie Rothenberger | June 25, 2011 12:02 PM
Posted on June 25, 2011 12:02
Michelle, I too now use the method you described for reading. Guided reading groups work best for myself to meet the individual needs to students. Not all children learn the say way and we need to find what works the best for each student. Basals series can be a resource, but should not be used for sole instructional purposes. I feel that your last statement sums it up best "learning about our students' home discourse can help educators motivate those students who struggle with literacy skills in the classroom."
Posted by Kara S | June 25, 2011 5:01 PM
Posted on June 25, 2011 17:01
Michelle,
I also wondered if Laurie truly suffered from ADD. It appeared that she was able to maintain focus to complete appropriately leveled work. My heart goes out to children like Laurie. All children want is to belong. When they are not successful as students, they will find other ways to meet their agendas. How troubling it is that children feel the pressure to meet grade level standards and are unable to focus on their own academic journeys. If education is truly about meeting every child where he/she is, then every child should feel a degree of empowerment and success.
Posted by Holly Lawson | June 27, 2011 1:58 PM
Posted on June 27, 2011 13:58
I agree with you, I don’t think that any one reading series – or any single approach, for that matter – will provide what every child needs in order to learn to read. I think that all too often our school districts hand down “edicts” to dictate what we are to do in our classrooms as if the newest fad in reading programs, assessments, or what ever else they have been “sold” will provide all of the answers – and they couldn’t be more wrong! I wonder when they will trust teachers to use what they know about children and literacy instruction and allow US to meet the needs of our students. It would almost be like a doctor who is told that every sore throat should be treated with antibiotics, no matter what the cause. We need to be trusted, as teachers, to teach our children in whatever way works best for the children!
Posted by Marlee Wright | June 27, 2011 3:00 PM
Posted on June 27, 2011 15:00