There was a statement in the first paragraph of chapter one that I thought summed up the entire chapter and really set the stage for what the rest of this book would be about. It said that students’ searches for social belonging are as much a part of learning in school as anything that might be described as cognitive. I think that makes a lot of sense. I can remember things that happened in my kindergarten class, and that was over 30 years ago. Kids worry so much about whether or not they will fit in and be accepted, and to most of them that is more important than the quality of the education they are receiving. The schools are set up and run by middle class people and are designed to serve middle class children. This does present a problem for children who don’t belong to this class and don’t know how to fit into it. Our schools are not designed to meet the needs specifically of non-English speakers, kids of lower class families, or children who belong to minority groups. We try to make adaptations for these kids with programs like ESL, EC, and tutoring programs like Title One, but these sometimes put a label on children and create another reason for them not to fit in. They are know as different and may be teased and picked on by other children, even in elementary school.
We as educators say we try to change things and make life easier and better for these children, but it can be frustrating for us too because these are the children whose parents are often not involved and don’t try to give their children help at home with homework or be supportive of the teacher’s efforts in other ways. Maybe this is because they are just so busy trying to survive that they don’t have time, or maybe education just isn’t high on their list of important things in life. It’s easy for us to just blame the parents and say they don’t care about their kids because they don’t do things for them we think are important (such as reading to them or helping with homework). I have been guilty of saying that before. The truth is that they probably love their kids as much as I do, but the difficulty and hardships of their life makes it hard for them to find the time and energy to give to their kids that they need.
Children come to school with their opinions of literacy already somewhat formed. The literacy practices that have been in place in their homes have created a framework upon which their learning in school will be attached. If children have been read to and have seen their parents engaged in practices involving literacy (such as reading, writing, using computers, sending emails, etc.) then the children already understand the importance of learning to read and write and they see the value of these abilities in their lives. Contrary to this, if kids only see their parents watching TV and never see them reading or writing in any way, then the children will not understand the value and importance of being literate. This will impact their attitudes and their attempts at learning to read and write in school.
I can relate to the practice mentioned about naming colors. I have always referred to the flesh toned crayon as skin color, and it has never really been brought up as an issue because we don’t have many African American children in our school. Last year, however, I had a particularly bright young boy in my class who was African American. He took great issue with the color being called skin color and as he pointed out to me in the first few days of school; his skin was not the color of that crayon. So we began to call that color peach from that day on.
I was very surprised as the scenario in which Lee Ann and Jake were having a little tiff and the mother and grandmother encouraged Lee Ann to go take care of Jake after he shoved Lee Ann. I can’t imagine telling a child to go take care of another child. This goes against everything I try to teach my children. I would never ever tell one of my kids to go get revenge on the other one for any reason whatsoever. I do agree that everything that goes on in a child’s life will impact their attitudes toward learning when they arrive at school. Page 22 says that all ways of living, including eating, sleeping, worshipping, and how they spend their free time all impact the ways children acquire new knowledge. Kids don’t just learn to read and be literate at school. They have many interactions with literacy outside of school, even if reading isn’t a popular practice at their homes. A good example of this was how the children in Roadville had a hard time making up stories at school because that had been a punishable practice in their homes. Our world at school is sometimes very different than the homes our children come from. It is very difficult for them to change gears every morning when they come in our doors. We have read articles about children with ethnic differences from other countries who have difficulty adapting in our culture. Sometimes we don’t think about the kids who were born and raised in America but still feel alienated in our classrooms because they come from families that are not white middle class families. I imagine that an African American child who lives in the “projects” would feel just as out of place in a classroom where the majority of the kids are white middle class as would an immigrant child from Mexico.
I am eager to read the rest of the chapters in this book to find out a little more about what happens to Lee Ann and Jake, and to learn more about how working class children find ways to fit in at school. While I enjoyed reading the other articles, I could not really relate to how those in the stories really felt, since I have never been in their particular situations. However, I can relate to Lee Ann and Jake to an extent because I grew up in a situation somewhat similar. I came from a working class family, and finding a place to fit it was tough at times, especially as I got older.
Lorie Hedrick
Comments (10)
I definitely agree with you when you discussed the minority students that are put into programs to help them. Even though as teachers we try to hide and shield the child being served in a different environment from their peers, the other students are nosey and always seem to notice that there peers are missing. In my opinion this does set up another barrier for the children. This leads myself to ask the question about their parents. If the parents truly understand the emotional distress of their own child at school, would they do more to help their child? Before the birth of a child multiple classes are offered to the soon to be parents, why not add a class about literature and the effects that it could later have on their child’s life. I feel that more parents need to know and be aware of what studied show about early literacy. This may not help in a tremendous way, but some help is better than none.
Misty Mistretta
Posted by Misty Mistretta | June 22, 2009 3:01 PM
Posted on June 22, 2009 15:01
I have a different experience from a lot of the people taking this course. In my school, because I am white, I am in the minority. I have had to learn a lot about other cultures and have had to learn to change how I think about and look at certain things.
We have many students who receive special services so their peers don't really notice or react when a child goes to EC, ESL, or any of the other things they get pulled for in schools.
We have tried to cultivate an environment where differences are embraced and appreciated. At my school, when children have issues with one another at school 9 times out of 10 it is something that started at home. Many times is is carried over from issues between the parents.
It is a sad fact that parents do not always know the best way to act od react is certain situations.
Posted by Caroline Walker | June 22, 2009 11:06 PM
Posted on June 22, 2009 23:06
Lorie, it is so true that kids put such priority on fitting in. Well, I'm thinking here that perhaps even adults put a great deal of energy into fitting in; maybe this is why our children do! It's such a shame really because we--especially as grade-school kids--miss out on so much knowledge in this life because we're concerned with fitting in. What is there to do about this? How can we create a non-threatening, community-building, diversity-affirming paradigm that truly educates our children? One that encourages autonomy, but recognizes there's no such thing as autonomous "mastery?" We as teachers have such in INCREDIBLE platform from which to widely impact our country that we need to really take these questions very seriously.
Posted by erin farrington | June 23, 2009 12:53 AM
Posted on June 23, 2009 00:53
Lorie,
You have made many good points in your post. You mentioned the tiff between Lee Ann and Jake. At first I was surprised as well, because never would I allow such interactions or encounters to take place either, even though it may be child initiated. Then, I stopped for a moment to think back to moments I have been to basketball, football, and baseball games to see my students play. The actions and behavior of the parents are appalling, but it also helps me to better understand my students. You are right about literacy not starting at home. In my opinion it starts at birth, when a child is hearing people speak to it. Isn't that part of a child's language development. So...every place you go, in and out of public, has an affect on literacy.
Posted by Heather Houston | June 23, 2009 3:12 PM
Posted on June 23, 2009 15:12
Lorie,
I am with you - I cannot wait to read more about how Jake & Laurie do in school. Plus, I am hoping to learn more so I can internalize it which I hopw will help me with my parents.
Posted by Loren Van De Griek | June 23, 2009 4:20 PM
Posted on June 23, 2009 16:20
Lorie, you are so right when you mention that we as teachers have made statements about parents not caring about their children as we think they should. One thing we can get from this book is that not only do our students have backgrounds that have influenced how they gain knowledge but their parents were raised in a culture, class, and ethnicity that influenced them as well. Sometimes our students and parents must only be held accountable for what they have seen and heard and been taught by others, because what else could they know? All sorts of learning is handed through generations but not all of it is good.
Posted by Janet Gross | June 23, 2009 5:53 PM
Posted on June 23, 2009 17:53
Lorie,
I’m going to throw some disagreement, or at least a slight twist of view in to this conversation. You mentioned that you thought a low-income African-American child would feel very out of place when mixed with middle class white children. I would go further to say that, sometimes, money is a more divisive factor than skin color. I have heard all kinds of awful things said between children of the same ethic group who have different socioeconomic backgrounds. I do agree that it would be more difficult if you were in a definite minority. I student taught at a school that was 3% minority and 3% free/reduced lunch. Any difference AT ALL was grounds for social ostracization by children and adults alike.
As to your comments about the Mom telling LeeAnn to beat her brother…Isn’t a parent’s primary duty to protect, nurture, and grow their child in the home environment? Lee Ann’s family doesn’t seem abusive or negligent. I think that—most likely—women are vocal individuals who handle their business in her neighborhood. I realize that my mother likely would have chastised both my brother and I for that kind of behavior, but she always would have made clear to me that it’s not okay for a man to belittle you physically or emotionally. I feel that’s what LeeAnn’s mother was doing, just in a way that might look different from our middle class view of normality.
Ruth
Posted by Ruth Johnson | June 23, 2009 8:54 PM
Posted on June 23, 2009 20:54
I too liked the part that you quoted that explains to us that everything in a child's life effects their knowledge and literacy. It made me think about the little boy who comes to school and just seems disinterested in reading and writing. Educators often make comments indicating that the little boy just doesn't care or has a bad attitude. After reading this is makes me wonder how many of those kids that seem like they don't care or have a bad attitude are just showing evidence that they have never been exposed at home to the importance of literacy. Many of these kids have probably never caught mom or dad reading for pleasure. I plan to take a closer look at this idea next year before evaluating a child's attitude toward literacy.
Posted by Jessica Jackson | June 23, 2009 10:17 PM
Posted on June 23, 2009 22:17
I agree that children come to school with opinions about literacy formed. By the time some of my students get to fourth grade, they feel like they can read well enough to survive but with some of my students I have a hard time taking a book away during class.
I also agree that the students want to fit it. Who doesn't? I know that I still want to fit in to some degree. My students notice when a child is pulled out. At the beginning of the year, the students ask me where their classmates are going and when is it going to be their turn. They soon realize that they are being pulled out for a special reason. I would have to agree with Ruth when she said that money plays a large part in the classroom. My first year teaching I taught at a richer school. Two of my students were actually arguing over who had the better Hummer. Another little girl in the class soon left the conversation because her family could barely afford gas for their one car. I could tell that she was embarrassed. Academically, they were all about equal but they were in different socioeconomic groups and this affected the little girl more.
Dana Eudy
Posted by Dana Eudy | June 23, 2009 10:56 PM
Posted on June 23, 2009 22:56
I also agree that students fitting in is very important to them. I see how important it is in kindergarten. Their emotions and feelings are so fragile and when someone says they will not be their friend they get very upset. I try to teach about how differences are important in our world because it makes us all unique. I want my students to understand that whether they go to special classes for extra help or whether they don't that everyone is important and that we do not make fun of people. I also agree that students may not be interested in school or may seem to not care may have just never been introduced to literacy before and they do not understand how important it is. I think that students who are introduced to it at a young age are excited when they get to school. In teaching kindergarten I can see which kids know the importance of literacy and school and which ones don't. The ones who know the importance are excited and asking me when can we learn to read. The other students take a while to get into the swing of understanding that we need literacy to get through everyday life.
Posted by Megan Machuga | June 24, 2009 12:29 AM
Posted on June 24, 2009 00:29